Harry Potter Barely Features
by Howrude
Summary: A normal young woman becomes a teacher at Hogwarts, as evil starts mustering. But not everything is as clear as it seems. All constructive criticism welcome, actively encouraged.
1. Prologue The One with the dead people

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Prologue

The arch stood in the centre of the room, and the man stood looking at it, hands in pockets. He didn't like the way that the veil fluttered lightly in a breeze which was not there and was a slightly fluid looking grey. But it didn't Look dangerous.

"So" said the woman standing next to him, arms folded, breaking the silence. Her eyes avoided the arch.

"Can we go yet?" she questioned rubbing her arms as if she were cold.

"Do you know what this is, Donna?" questioned the man, hands still comfortably in his pockets.

"Yes, I read the books, that's where dead people go" she said in a convicted voice.

"This isn't the _Sixth Sense_, Donna. You're not telling me that you really believe all dead people go behind that arch" he said condescendingly.

"That's what it said in the book!" she yelled back as he stepped forward.

"Yeah, but that's just a story" he said hastily.

"But you said"

The doctor interrupted her and continued, scrutinising the door. "No, this look is good, too good in fact, it's brilliant. So wizardy, so 'Ye Olde Arche'. It's hiding something"

"Yeah, dead people!" said Donna exasperatedly.

"Donna! Be serious" The Doctor leapt up the steps to the arch and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He buzzed the side of the arch, his hand at an odd angle.

"I knew it, I knew it" he mumbled, teeth clenched.

"What?" questioned Donna, who hadn't moved. Her arms remained crossed.

"It's disguised, like the Tardis, and bigger than it looks as well. It's some sort of storage unit. And if I just take a look, we can find out what's inside."

"Doctor, that's a really bad…" However it was too late, something clicked and the veil seemed to disintegrate from the top down and in an undignified manner bodies began to tumble forwards out of what seemed to be a huge space inside.

"I told you it was full of dead people!!" Donna screamed at the Doctor. The pile up was occurring on both sides and the bodies underneath began to squirm. A sound like an ancient fog horn sounded all around.

"Run!" yelled the Doctor.

A moment later the rasping sound of the Tardis dematerialising could be heard as the first of the bodies began to wake up.


	2. Chapter 1 The One with lots of fainting

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter One - Introducing...

Meanwhile…  
As she sat on a train heading into King's Cross, a young woman felt decidedly uncomfortable, and it wasn't just the seat, although this didn't help. Outside the windows was merely black, she was on the underground, but it didn't matter because she wasn't admiring the view. This job that she had accepted seemed more dubious the nearer she got to King's cross, and it had seemed pretty fishy to begin with. Firstly the interview had taken place in a Starbuck's. Fair enough but the interviewers had refused to let her see the school, even a picture, until the beginning of term. They wouldn't tell her what subject she was to teach. She was asked about her opinion on ghosts, about how much it took to frighten her, if she had a lively imagination, and how she coped with new situations. She had also been asked whether she liked cats, toads, owls, spiders and pumpkin juice. But that was nothing compared with those asking the questions.

There had been a severe looking lady, dressed in an old, pink, flower print dress with a large, floppy bow at the back, and a frilly collar, which seemed to clash with her tight bun and pursed lips. Another rather larger man with an amazing beard had been wearing a huge Hawaiian shirt with beige shorts and sunglasses and had sat muttering about the small size of the largest caramel crème frappuccino. The last was a friendly ginger man in an old tweed suit who kept talking about things like televisions and computers using words like "fantastic" and "incredible".

If it wasn't for her contact Patricia Glossop would have presumed it was all a wind up and walked out. But she really needed the job. Then again she'd probably never get there. The ticket she had been sent (obviously hand delivered as it had no stamp on the envelope) seemed to say platform 9 and ¾ and last time she had been to King's Cross there hadn't been room for ¼ platforms. The ticket itself was written in highly flamboyant writing on what appeared to be parchment and Patricia couldn't see National Express issuing tickets like that, even to royalty. But she'd soon find out, she was at King's Cross.

The station, like all London stations at that time of day, was swarming. She made her way over to platform 9 in attempt to work out what was going on. She saw the large wall where platforms 9 and 10 met and stared at it in the vain hope that a poster or person might appear to explain what was going on. As she looked, a child rammed past her with a huge trolley knocking her sideways slightly and as she looked up she could see them careering towards the wall she had been recently staring at. In her mind she could see the dreadful mess, the child clutching it's stomach, the suitcase smashed and it's contents spilling on the floor and the trolley crumpled, but a second later she realised she simply wasn't seeing it.

The child, trolley and suitcases were simply not there. She looked beyond the wall to see if, by some miracle, it had changed course at the last minute, but no child could be seen hurtling down the platform. She would have presumed she was mad, if a moment later another child had disappeared the same way. It was beyond belief, it was illogical, and stupid, and she walked around mentally shouting at herself for a while until her brain, always a rebellious instrument, convinced her it was worth a try. So, clutching her own bags, she walked slowly up to the wall. She put her bags down carefully and pushed her hand against the wall. It was solid, and remained so when she pounded her fist against it. Muttering at her brain, she picked her bags up and in one more annoyed gesture kicked back against the wall. Suddenly she was flying backwards.

She opened her eyes to see a vaulted ceiling far in the distance, but nearer was a circle of curious faces regarding her with a mix of concern and amusement. It was with embarrassment that she realised that she was sprawled over the floor.

"Are you alright there?" asked a more helpful bystander.

"I…I think I'm alright" muttered Patricia. Leaning forward to feel her head she saw one of her bags had sprung open, its contents spread across the floor, and amongst it were some embarrassing articles of underwear. Going bright red she jumped up and started cramming them into the case. In the background she could hear children laughing. Going bright red she angrily slammed her suitcase shut and turned to glare at the children. Unfortunately her glare did not last long.

"You have got to be kidding me!" she muttered, as her mind registered the trolleys of owls, cauldrons and other dubious articles, kids in what looked like capes and the steam train at the platform.  
She slowly stood up.

"Are you sure you're alright?" said the helpful voice again.

"Yeah I'm f…" said Patricia, turning round to see a man in what appeared to be a dress and a pointy hat. She fainted.  
When she came round she could here muttering.

"Just look at her clothing, She's a muggle. Merlin only knows how she got here. No wonder she fainted, her brain probably can't cope with the change" Patricia didn't know what a muggle was. The nearest she could get was mug and she couldn't understand how her smart skirt, shirt and blazer could make her look like one of those. Then she considered the clothes of her employers and changed her mind. She sat up to find herself on a bench by the side of the platform. She reached up to rub her eyes.

A friendly face came into view, with freckled cheeks and cropped ginger hair.

"Hi, I'm Ginny Potter. You fainted, what's your name?" Her head thumping Patricia rubbed her forehead.

"I'm Trish, Patricia Glossop, I'm meant to be, to be going to Hogwarts School? I'm a teacher. They sent me this ticket." Saying this she handed the woman the crumpled ticket she'd been clutching since she got off at King's Cross. The woman took it and looked at the ticket.

"You're a teacher? What subject are you teaching?" asked the woman still smiling.

"I don't know. I usually teach English, sometimes Drama or Media Studies, I've done a bit of history but they didn't tell me what subject I'd be teaching." The woman surveyed her somewhat anxiously.

"They've really dropped you in the deep end here." She was about to continue when the whistle blew.

"Oh, you better go," and with that Patricia was bundled into the nearest door with her bags.

"No going back now" thought Patricia, as the platform fell away into the distance.  
On the train Patricia had to walk past compartments of inquisitive and sometimes rude students, increasingly in a strange version of what she assumed was a uniform, and eventually she reached the end of the train where, thankfully, the last carriage was free. She dumped her suitcases on the chairs next to her, and started routing around in her handbag. She had to call someone, anyone. She didn't know what she was going to say but talking to a sane person would help. She pulled out her mobile and flipped it open.

"Middle of London and no signal!" she growled.

"You're the muggle who fell over at the station aren't you" came an arrogant voice from the door.

"I'm certainly a something" she said thinking about her situation. Slowly she looked up at three boys standing in the door, a small blonde boy with an arrogant smirk and two larger boys, with darker hair and a look that lacked intelligence.

"I'm sorry, but what exactly is a muggle?" The boys laughed at the question, and Patricia decided that it was a bad thing, whatever it was.

"You mean they never told you? Muggles, muggle, are dirty, stupid, non-magic people."

"Which makes you, what, a very young Tog? A heart 106.2 fan?" she asked quizzically.

"We're wizards, muggle, so you better watch yourself" snapped the young boy his smile fading, thinking she was mocking him. She realised she was, but just couldn't figure out how. "Wizards? You're the youngest 'wizards' I've ever seen." She said beginning to release they may not actually be joking.

"Don't make us prove it, muggle" said the young boy pulling out a stick and pointing it threateningly at her. His friends followed suit.

"You know" said Patricia, "that name is really beginning to grate on me. I'm going to be your teacher. So you will show me the respect owed to a teacher and at school you will be punished for your behaviour on the way here." For a moment the boys looked stumped.

"You can't get us for this, muggle; we're not at school yet" The boy seemed to reassert himself but put his stick away, and the others slowly followed suit. Trish stood up.

"Now you see that's funny, because you appear to be in school uniform and where I was at school, and where I taught before that meant school rules applied. So I'll just take your names, if not I'm sure I can find them out from another teacher at the school" She went to her bag and pulled out a pen and piece of paper. The boys looked annoyed then, the one at the front said.

"I'm Ian Percy Freely, and these are Christopher Cross and Joseph King. All in Gryffindor house." Patricia looked at them, with an eyebrow raised.

"Fine, and what year are you in?" she asked. Once the boys were gone, she walked along the train until she saw some children in red and yellow ties. They reminded her of her own house, from school so she entered the compartment.

"I'm sorry to disturb you guys, but I need your help. I'm Miss Glossop, I'm going to be a teacher at your school, I need to know the names of some boys who just went by. A short blonde boy and two larger boys. They're in the green house."A girl in the red house spoke up, she was obviously a first year, with auburn hair and greenish eyes.

"That's Scorpius Malfoy and his gang; he's in my brother, Albus' year. And they're in Slytherin" Her voice was quite but confident.

"Thank you, and what are your names?" she asked, taking out a pen and pad of paper.

"Lily Potter" said the last girl quietly, looking away. The others looked at Lily.

"Lily, that's a nice name" said Patricia unaware of their strange looks.

"Haven't you heard, Professor, about her family" said one of the girls, staring at Lily with open interest.

"Professor? No no no! Call me Miss, and what's this about your family. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine"

"Everyone else is talking about it, Professor, about all them back from the dead."  
Patricia's quizzical face convinced them of her ignorance so they past her a paper. The front page picture appeared to be moving but she swallowed and looked at the headline.

"'Dawn of the dead'" read Patricia. "Unbelievable"

'At 3am this morning alarms were raised at the Ministry of magic, which were installed to warn of intruders. When ministry employees arrived at the scene it was to discover that the arch beneath the ministry, widely believed to contain the souls of wizards and witches was pouring forth it's grizzly contents. Wizards from many generations, numbering possibly in their thousands are rumoured to have been released. Unfortunately in the ensuing stampede that occurred, a number of those are thought to have been trampled. The ministry has not yet confirmed events, but a number of witches and wizards are believed to have left before being identified. The ministry asks the public to remain calm until the situation can be assessed, but the Prophet has information suggesting that as well as Dumbledore, former headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, James and Lily Potter, parents of the famous Harry Potter, He Who Must Not Be Named and many of his followers are rumoured amongst those raised. Anyone whose relatives are included amongst the formerly deceased will be contacted soon by the ministry. Any sightings of previously deceased persons should be immediately referred to the ministry'

Patricia looked up quizzically. The name Harry Potter rang a bell, and in her mind there were images of a cold, dark classroom with an old man scowling. There were lots of chemicals and a distinct smell of fear, failure and burning in the air. Then it clicked, her chemistry teacher had been old Harold Potter. She had failed chemistry. She'd also blow up his science lab once, by putting a match to a large jar of hydrogen whilst he was out putting the potassium away. He had not appreciated that, especially since he'd lost all his windows. She smiled slightly to herself.

"Is this serious?" she questioned.

"Yes, my Dad got an owl from the ministry this morning" muttered Lily.  
For a moment Patricia wondered if she'd missed something Lily had said, then wondered if she'd misheard it. But in no way could her mind make owl sound anything like letter, note, fax or call. "Why?" she said eventually.

"What?" replied Lily confused.

"Why did your dad get sent an owl? Was it a present or a warning or something; like in the Godfather?" said Patricia, trying not to think how stupid it would look if it turned out Lily had said e-mail.

"What's the Godfather?" This time it was Patricia's time to stare at Lily. But before she could exclaim her disbelief at someone having never heard of the Godfather, her friend condescendingly continued,

"You're the muggle aren't you? Owls carry messages for witches and wizards."

"Well I suppose that's one way of doing it but if this (she pointed at the article) really is true, what's so bad about it. All these people are back, isn't that a good thing"

"Professor, You Know Who is back. Nothing could be worse." Said the condescending student.

"Miss! And I don't mean to sound dense but I don't know who."

"Professor!! How can you ask that in front of Lily!!!" replied the student.

"Because I don't know. I'm a muggie thing remember. Until this morning I thought magic was a London radio station." She laughed slightly at her own joke and saw the girls looking back at her blank faced.

"Muggle's have radios?" said Lily, chirping up. Apparently the idea of someone truly unaware of her family's history had brightened her up.

"You have radios? Do they run on magic?" questioned Patricia.

"Of course, how do muggle radios work?" asked Lily.

"Using electricity. The radio station broadcasts sound, speech or music, across the air on radio waves. It's received by a radio which turns it back into sound. I don't know the technicalities. So can someone tell me what's going on?"

"Well, Prof…" began Lily's vocal friend. At that moment the train arrived at it's destination and Patricia had to run through to her own compartment to collect her bags. She was pushed onto the station to see the huge man with the beard who had been at her interview. However instead of the dreadful Hawaiian shirt, he was wearing a long brown robe. She tried to shout to him, but she couldn't remember his name, couldn't even remember if he'd given a name. He seemed busy with the year sevens, or first years as he was yelling, and the crowd was huge and loud. So she walked over to where a load of carriages seemed to be standing around pulled by fleshy horses, which most of the students seemed to ignore. She decided that it was probably a very normal thing for them, but not for her. She dropped her bags and very quietly threw up in a bush by the way.

"Are you alright Professor?" asked a student she hadn't yet met, but who had obviously heard about her. She realised how silly she must look throwing up at the sight of the transport.

"I'm just a little travel sick" she lied. Standing up shakily she forced herself to smile.

"Can you just help me to a…a…a…one of those."

The carriages rumbled up a long drive, which didn't help Patricia. Her queasy stomach didn't respond well to the motion or to the sight of what was pulling the carriages. What sort of crazy school was this? It turned out to be an impressive looking castle set in large, wild looking grounds with a huge lake and a large forest. She could feel a slight sense of panic setting in, and a vague feeling of wanting to turn around and go home, but she concluded it was nerves and ignored it.

As the children piled out of the carriages she noticed that none of them seemed to have their luggage with them. Personally, she wasn't so happy leaving her luggage in their hands, but it was then she realised they hadn't been put on the coach and all she had was her hand bag. So she calmly walked up the steps, following the students. In the entrance hall she saw a group of what she presumed were teaches, by the sheer fact that they were adult. The woman who had been at her interview was chatting, now wearing a long dark green dress with a pointy hat and Patricia had to admit that it suited her better than the pink flowery monstrosity she had previously been wearing. She seemed to be stressed. When she saw Patricia she went pale and ran over.  
"Professor Glossop, I, but, how? How did you get here? We meant to send an escort to collect you this morning, but I'm afraid you've been overlooked, we're somewhat in the middle of a crisis. Who picked you up?" She looked past Patricia as if expecting to see someone.

"Nobody, I came by train, I'm sorry, I can't seem to remember your name" she said.

"Oh apologies m'dear Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts, but how did you get the train, how did you get onto the platform?" she said looking at her with something resembling awe. Patricia could feel herself going red remembering exactly how she had.

"I…I managed,"

"How did you know to go there though?" questioned McGonagall almost accusingly.

"I got the ticket you sent me" McGonagall went a pale colour.

"What? Oh dear, I need to send an owl urgently. Come here my dear," With this Professor McGonagall lead Patricia into the rest of the group.

"Professors, let me introduce Patricia Glossop, our newest Muggle Studies teacher. I'm sure they can introduce themselves, I'm sorry m'dears but I must dash." And with that she was gone, leaving Patricia surrounded by a group of expectant faces.

"Hi" said Patricia awkwardly. The group stared at her for a second. Then a very short man stepped forward.

"How rude of us, Professor Glossop. My name is Filius Flitwick, Head of Charms. This is Sybil Trelawney, Head of Divination, Alida Stevens, Administrative Assistant Cuthbert Binns, Head of History of Magic…" and that was the last Patricia heard. She looked at, or should I say through Professor Binns and then all was dark.


	3. Chapter 2 The One with the Sorting

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Two - Interesting times

Patricia came round a few moments later surrounded by anxious and inquisitive faces, for the second time that day. She was on the floor, laid out length ways and her head hurt a lot. A lady appeared on the scene as she was becoming conscious; wearing what appeared to be a very old matron's outfit, like she had seen on an episode of 'The Royal'. She started talking to the man who had identified himself as Filius Flitwick.

"It was a stupid and irresponsible idea having muggles here in the first place. Probably scared out of her wits, poor soul. Second time she's fainted today, one of the students told me. If you ask me she needs a lift home and a strong memory charm."

Patricia could feel the blood rising in her cheeks in anger. These people, whatever they were, considered her stupid, a failure, already. And she hadn't even tried teaching yet. She wasn't sure exactly what they wanted her to do, but she was determined she'd prove them wrong. Gritting her teeth she forced herself to sit up. The blood went to her head but she remained conscious.

"I'm alright, I've just got a headache" The woman looked at her as though she were a child.

"It's alright, we understand. You'll be home soon" She said and she patted the top of Patricia's head.

"Ow!" yelled Patricia, pulling her head away, and holding her hand over what felt like a rather large lump in the back of her head. The woman looked at her in an offended manner.

"I barely touched you"

"I'm sorry," said Patricia, realising it was probably not a good idea getting on the wrong side of all of the staff on the first day.

"I think I've got a bruise there, maybe a bit of a cut too. I had a bit of an accident this morning." One of the students observing giggled then added.

"Yeah, she fell into the platform, and showed the whole school her bright red bra with ribbons on it!" The onlookers looked at her, some merely quizzical, a couple slightly disgusted.

"My bag broke and they fell out, but I did hit my head against the floor" The woman examined her injury, holding her head an annoying angle, and pulling at her hair slightly more that Patricia appreciated.

"When did you first faint?" she quizzed

"Shortly after doing that?"

"And have you been sick?" her gaze didn't move from the bump. There was a pause and then Patricia mumbled,

"Yes"

"Hmm well that explains it" continued the woman, sounding as though it didn't quite explain it.

"You've got concussion" she added looking away from Patricia's head.

"I've got some potion that helps head injuries up in my…"

"I'll take an Aspirin"

"Professor Glossop, that muggle rubbish will have very little effect, it could take a couple of days to heal if left to itself" The nurse sounded scandalised at the idea.

"It's Miss Glossop and I'm sure that it will stop hurting in a few minutes, once I've taken the Aspirins" Defiantly she opened her bag and took a small packet out, took out two tablets and swallowed them in one. The nurse looked offended, but said nothing, bustling off quickly making huffing noises. A young lady in a dark red robe, with yellowy sleeves and came over to her and helped her up, as the rest of the teachers and pupils dispersed to head into the main hall.

"Well done Miss Glossop, you have beaten my record." she said indicating the door to the hall. "Excuse me?" said Patricia turning to observe the young looking woman in an old fashioned looking dress. It was so old fashioned in fact it had flared sleeves with inner sleeves. It looked like something Anne Boleyn would wear, but Trish felt it best to keep this comment to herself.

"You have managed to offend almost everyone within 5 minutes of arriving, it took me at least an hour. I'm Alida Stevens, the administrator" Patricia looked at the woman questioningly.

"They don't like having an administrator here at Hogwarts. I was imposed on them by the ministry, and they see it as an invasion of the schools independence. As was your appointment, and you go directly against the ideals of at least one of the school's houses. So you've lost a quarter of them already. Then you've annoyed Binns by fainting on him, so the ghost's will be against you. And I doubt Pomfrey will help you out on that matter now you've refused her help. You've fainted twice, not a reassuring start and your wearing what most of them would consider unprofessional clothing"

"Oh dear" muttered Patricia.

"Oh it's alright. Some words of advice though. Don't try the pumpkin juice, it's a cardinal sin to hate it, and you will hate it. Apologise to Binns and soon. And at some point soon go and complain of a slight upset stomach to Pomfrey and praise her famous strawberry potion, she's very proud of it. Just don't compare it to baby Calpol. Somehow she has heard of it and won't take it well." Said the woman conspiratorially.

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Patricia as they entered a large hall.

"I'm a muggle-born and they don't do much of an intro here, but it' not your fault. Chin up." Patricia took the time as they came forward to observe the room. There were eight large tables in the middle of the room, two for each house and at the end, length ways was a long teachers table. Candles floated mid air and four ghosts floated amongst them chatting with the students. As the teachers walked forward, Patricia looked up to see that the ceiling wasn't exactly a ceiling but a reflection of the sky outside, dark blue and cloudy.

"Impressive isn't it" said Professor Flitwick as they sat down.

"Better than anything muggles could achieve." The note in his voice wasn't vicious but condescending and Patricia was beginning to dislike it intensely.

"You obviously didn't see the opening of the Beijing Olympics." said Patricia looking down at the table, sitting up a little straighter and fiddling in a bored way with some cutlery.

"They had a screen that ran right round the rim of the stadium with a waterfall running down. All SGI of course, amazing what technology can achieve these days"  
Professor Flitwick looked taken aback.

It was then that the headmistress stood up and started speaking. It was a pretty basic welome back speech, some information and warnings. Shortly afterwards the large man without the Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses came in leading all of the first years. McGonagall explained about a process with a hat which was brought forth on a stool. The different houses were detailed and Patricia realised that what the headmistress was describing was what scared her most about the whole school. The sorting and prejudicing of children at such a young age, she felt, could have severe psychological effects. McGonagall was beginning to call the children up. Patricia started slightly when the hat first talked but found that the second time she was prepared and that she was actually quite enjoying it, despite it's implications. Then Lily was called forward and, to rapturous applause, was placed in Gryffindor. Finally McGonagall stood forward.

"This year we have a bit of a novelty. For the first time, we have three teachers joining us who were not students here at Hogwarts and so will need to be sorted themselves. So may I ask Professor Smith, Professor Noble and Professor Glossop to step forward for sorting please" Patricia went bright red and realised that everyone was looking at her, but not only at her.

It was at this moment that she saw that she was not the only teacher dressed in what she would consider normal clothes. A young man and a youngish woman stood forward at the other end of the teachers table. The woman was ginger and wearing a long light green dress with a large belt and looked to be enjoying herself a lot. The man also had a broad grin across his face, but he was wearing a blue pinstriped suit, with converses and gelled up hair. He stepped forward confidently before McGonagall could call a name, and she had to pick the hat up quickly before he sat on it. She raised it briskly above him and almost dropped it on his head. The hat seemed to consider for half a second then yelled.

"Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw!" Patricia could have sworn that in the tone there was a hint of fear in the hat's voice, but she dismissed it. What could a talking hat fear? Anyway, the blue table were cheering and everyone else thought it seemed normal enough. Next the ginger lady stepped forward. The hat was placed on her head but sat there for a little while. Finally it yelled.

"Slytherin!" The green house clapped unenthusiastically. They had obviously decided in their opinion of the woman, who was glaring at the man in blue. He had one hand in his trouser pocket and was rubbing the back of his head nervously with the other. She stood up icily and walked towards him as Patricia took a seat on the stool. The hat was placed on her head and she could hear it speaking but was aware that not everyone could hear it. She was glad about this.

"Hmmm what have we here? A muggle, not really right is it. Stupid enough to come here, so not Ravenclaw. Scared by a ghost, so not brave enough for Gryffindor."

"I have concussion! Anyway I'm still here aren't I!" thought Patricia angrily at the hat.

"Content to be a teacher, hardly ambitious enough for Slytherin. So let's see what we have left. It'll have to be…"

"HufflePuff!!" shouted the hat. Patricia could feel the sigh of relief from three of the houses and a not a sound came from the yellow house, looking at each other grumpily. She was the reject in the reject house. What was it they stood for? Loyalty, solidarity. No brains, no bravery and no ambition. The yellow house, always the losing house, wherever you went. She'd really wanted to be in red, as she'd been in red in her previous school in London. She had helped the head of house push the house from third to first. She'd even ran the three-legged teachers race and sang in the schools x-factor.

Somehow she couldn't see anything like that going down well here.

Then the feast began and Patricia forgot not to drink the pumpkin juice, politely pretending to choke on it, and then leaving the rest. No one was fooled. She was surprised by how many of the things to eat were familiar. After the day she had had she had been expecting nettle soup and elm bark, but instead she had roasted meats, vegetables, pies and all sorts, and quickly decided that, apart from the drinks, she was going to like the eating arrangements here.

But now it was coming up to six o'clock, the children were being lead out of the hall and the teachers were getting up to leave. Alida Stevens, the administrative assistant came towards Patricia with Professor Smith and Professor Noble in tow. Professor Noble looked annoyed and threw an accusing glance at Professor Smith who avoided looking at her.

"I'm showing you to your rooms. If you'd like to follow me" asked Alida politely. As she lead the way, Professor Smith jumped forward rather enthusiastically to speak with her. Patricia turned to Professor Noble.

"So what are you teaching?"

"Oh, I'm not a teacher, I'm Professor Smith's teaching assistant. It's a new thing, what with Defence Against the Dark Arts being so dangerous and especially now that You Know Who is back." Patricia was aware that she didn't understand half of the sentence so decided to change the subject somewhat.

"Don't you think it's strange how all the other teachers were once students here? Where did you go to school?" Professor noble seemed somewhat taken back by this question and took a moment to reply.

"My…my Granddad home schooled me. My Mum's a witch but my Dad's a muggle and he didn't want me to be sent away, not a boarding school fan."

"Oh I see, and Professor Smith?" Again Professor Noble had to think.

"I don't know, I presume the same sort of thing, or maybe he didn't get in. Hogwarts has only just been forced to expand to meet the growing demand for places."

They continued on in silence for a while, up stair cases that moved, past pictures that muttered. Patricia was far less fazed by the experience than she was expecting. She thought about escalators and web cams and wondered what the wizard equivalent of the internet would be. They stopped a few moments later just before a large portrait of a man in what Patricia would have considered a bright purple dress.

"This is the teachers corridor. All of the teachers sleep in rooms along here, except the heads of houses who have rooms near to their house common room. The password to get through this term is 'cobblers'." They approached the portrait.

"Password!" demanded the portrait.

"Cobblers" said Patricia immediately and the portrait swung open. Then, she added

"But can't you tell who we are?" asked Patricia, immediately realising how stupid it must look for her to be talking to a painting.

"Anyone could appear like you" stated the portrait obviously.

"Yes, but anyone could hide round a corner and hear someone else use the password, or somehow get hold of it? Then what? It's not very secure, is it, saying it out loud"  
With that she stepped through as the man in the portrait stalked off to sulk in another portrait. Alida gave Patricia a slight smirk.

"I've been nagging them to change the security here for a year. I just hope Sir Francis comes back soon or the other teachers will really hate you. This first room is yours, Professor Glossop" said Miss Stevens, opening the door. This revealed a room designed in a slightly more modern, or at least less gothic style than the rest of the castle. The walls were white and a picture rail ran round the top of third of it. The bed at the back of the room was a four poster, but not a chunky one and it had nice pale curtains on it. The lights were candles or gas lamps but there was a wide set of windows on her right, with doors leading onto a small balcony, surrounded by roofing, with a pleasant view of a lake. On the left was a door leading into a nice bathroom in a more modern style, with gas lamps already lit as it had no windows. At the front of the room was an old fashioned writing desk and a sofa, also old fashioned.

"No electricity?" questioned Patricia, thinking of all the gadgets she'd got backed in her bags, which she then found stacked neatly inside a huge wardrobe she had opened.

"No, I'm afraid the magical energy surrounding Hogwarts is so great that it does not allow electricity" was Miss Steven's even reply.

"If you've got anything that works on electricity, I could see what I could do?" offered Professor Smith smiling inanely.

"I did a little work with electrical-magic sychronisity for the ministry" he added quickly as he saw Alida's quizzial look.

"Well I've got a Laptop, an I-pod, a mobile, a hair dryer, a Nintendo DS and a TV oh and a radio, so any help would be appreciated" Patricia said calmly, looking at Professor Smith, expecting a reaction, but the smile didn't budge.

"Right, well here's your key. The door bolts on your side as well and is spell proof so no students should be able to interrupt you even if they do get through the portrait. I'll come and collect you at eight o'clock this evening for the teachers get together in the staff room. But apart from that you have free time till tomorrow. Now I'll show you two your rooms" and with that the other three disappeared. Patricia went over to her sofa and fell back onto it. It was harder than it looked. She closed her eyes and held her head in her hands and tried to be sensible.

How could she be sensible? She was in castle full of people who thought they were wizards and witches, with ghosts and ghoulish horses and talking portraits and moving stair cases. She half expected to see a single hand running around on errands and Frankenstein serving dinner and then wandered to herself if any of these people had seen the Addams family. Probably not, and they probably wouldn't be amused by it either. Imagining McGonagall's un-amused face watching _Bedknobs and Broomsticks_ sent her into hysterical giggles. It was ten minutes before she was able to start un-packing and making a note of all the things she needed to get.

At eight o'clock Alida came to collect Patricia and took her down to the staff room. The room was quite large with an ornate fireplace and a number of nice seats. But at first Patricia was merely over-whelmed by the number of staff crowded into the room, giving her evil looks. She was suprised that she could remember most of them from dinner. No sooner had the door closed when McGonagall began,

"As many of you will know, a number of teachers from Hogwarts, from the past, have returned from, well from…and their wish is for their jobs back. Obviously this causes some... issues but considering out current predicament it has worked quite well, staffing wise. The ministry has demanded it anyway so we must all live with it, as best we can" McGonagall seemed very sad, Patricia thought, for someone whose friends had come back from the dead. She wondered how long it had been since they had died. She also made a mental note to ask someone what "the ministry" was.

"Professor Albus Dumbledore will be returning as deputy head and Professors Severus Snape and Charity Burbage will be returning to their previous positions. Remus Lupin and Alastair Moody are also joining us as Defence against the Dark Arts teachers. Some previous students will also be returning to finish their education."  
The other teachers seemed more struck by this than Patricia did, as a murmur immediately started. Clearly they knew what the names meant.

"Unfortunately it is not simply the recently deceased who have… appeared, a number of those from Hogwart's more distant past have also returned including Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw. The founders will wish to come and see what has come of the school so please be prepared for that. No ghosts have returned though, thankfully" Patricia's train of thought about why so many peoples first and surnames here began with the same letter was interrupted by a whisper from behind her. She resisted the temptation to turn round.

"That's a good point, Donna, remember that"

"Hang on, couldn't they…" but Professor Noble was shushed as Professor McGonagall continued.

"On a lighter note, as you may well have noticed, Hogwarts has been expanded yet again this year, as was planned. Now we have 30 children in each year. Due to this expansion it has been considered that the work load for heads of house and heads of department are too great to be carried by the same person. Over this first term time will be taken to consider the suitability of the staff for those roles and by the end of the term those roles will be split. Professor Bunbury, will you please take Professor Glossop through the Muggle studies syllabus tomorrow, so that she's ready for lessons to start on Monday." With that the meeting ended and Trish was ushered out.


	4. Chapter 3 The One with attempted Murder

Chapter Three – The One with Attempted Murder

Patricia had, after her first shocking day at Hogwarts, been looking forward to waking up late in her four poster bed with light streaming in the windows to the sound of bird song. She'd even looked forward to preparing for her first classes on Monday, now that she had seen the syllabus and how she could work with it. Unfortunately for Patricia she was not going to get the lie in she had hoped for. She was woken rather abruptly in a panic by the sensation of not being able to breath and soon discovered the source of said sensation.

She opened her eyes. She couldn't see a thing, but she could feel the pillow pressed hard over her mouth and hear the cackling laughter coming from above it. She struggled, grabbing the pillow with her hand and kicking with her legs, scared even more when she found nothing holding it on the other side but a cold breeze, and then finally she managed to push it away from her. She threw herself off of the bed and onto the floor.

Looking up through a haze of her own mad hair, Patricia could see a small spectre clutching her pillow to his stomach whilst doing somersaults in the air, laughing at her. He had a waistcoat on and a horrid little face, and Patricia suddenly became very angry. It wasn't the being laughed at that Patricia hated the most. She knew that this would be all over the school by breakfast, that every child would jeer at how she had been scared by a ghosts practical joke and she'd never control them after that. That was if they let her stay on after that.

"You don't scare me!" she screamed, the blood rising in her cheeks.

"So that's why you scream and faint like a girl, Muggle!" and he blew a raspberry at her.

"I am girl, you twit! Now give me back my pillow!" she shouted, more forcefully than before and, not particularly sensibly, ran for the ghost. He was floating over the bed, and backed over to the wall, taunting her, as she dived across the bed. He then quickly flew back across the room, and, whooping, flew through the door. Unfortunately, although he could travel through solid objects the pillow could not, and she could see the strain as he kept hold of it. Trish was back across the room by this time, and grabbed the pillow. For a few seconds they grappled then suddenly he let go and she went flying to the ground. Seething she jumped back up and flung the door open to see him flying in fits along the corridor.

"You come near me again and I swear I'm calling Ghostbusters, you b…" she trailed off as she finished the sentence aware of the crowd of people standing behind her observing her. She also became very aware that she was wearing pyjamas with blue teddy bears all over them, and had hair that looked like an afro.

"Professor Glossup, what is the meaning of this uproar?" came McGonagall's high and scandalised voice.

"It's Trish, not Professor! And he started it!" she said gritting her teeth and turning around to face the crowd of teachers, some wearing various articles of far more embarrassing bed clothes than she was. McGonagall stood at the front, hands on hips, looking frustrated.

"What did he do now? Hold you in midair? Make your clothes fly about the room?" asked McGonagall.

"Throw your own pillow at you?" added Professor smith, who seemed to be wearing the same pin stripped suit he had worn the day before, looking at the pillow she had gripped in her hand.

"He tried to suffocate me with it" she said feeling more justified now in making a scene.

"Don't over-exaggerate, Professor Glossup, what exactly did Peeves do?" asked a woman in stripped blue pyjamas, who Trish vaguely remembered was called Rolanda Hooch.

"He held a pillow over my mouth while I was asleep. What else do you think he was trying to do?" snapped Trish. The teachers suddenly seemed more serious. Professor Noble stepped forward, followed closely by everyone else who quickly started chattering. Half of them seemed to be asking her if she was alright and the others urgently nattering about something. A voice came over everyone else.

"Please, everyone, can you go back to bed, I will deal with this …incident. Please, everyone, yes you too, Professor Noble".

Professor Noble grudgingly did as she was told, as did everyone else.

"Now Prof, I'm sorry, I mean Patricia, are you alright? I mean really. This is a serious incident. I shall have to report it to the ministry and I'll have to try and get the bloody baron on side to keep Peeves in line." She seemed to be saying this last part to herself and seemed rather distracted. It was only then that Trish realised that McGonagall was fully dressed in a long red gown with a matching pointed hat.

"Are you alright, Headmistress?" she asked, looking enquiringly at McGonagall.

"Call me Minerva m'dear, yes, I'm a little distracted, those teachers who used to work here are coming back tonight, I got up this early to greet them, they'll be here in an hour. But are you sure your alright, you should go back to bed, do you need a pillow?" she said looking and what remained of Trish's

"I'm fine He…Minerva," said Trish, with the same tone as if she had said Headmistress. "I don't feel like going back to bed, it's almost light anyway, and I could really do with a hot drink though"

"Of course, of course, I'll show you to the kitchens. If your not going back to bed maybe you'd like to get dressed first. I'll wait out here"

Trish emerged some minutes later dressed in a green flaring skirt and a brown cardigan. Her hair was more orderly now, curly but under control.

"This way Patricia." said McGonagall and lead the way. Trish always felt when McGonagall said Patricia that she thought she was talking to a student. But she couldn't dwell on it for long. They walked down through the school, even more desolate by night, lit only by the light of McGonagall's wand, and with the sound of portraits whispering and shuffling around them, until they got to the entrance hall. Here they took some stairs down from the left, into a dark corridor which stretched for a long while, and then abruptly did a u turn. Then they stopped beside a picture of a big bowl of fruit. McGonagall turned to the picture and tickled the pear. It wriggled a little then a handle appeared. They walked into a room which appeared to be very similar to the great hall above. It had the eight house tables and the teachers table, and the walls were covered in copper pots and pans. A singular figure was busily working away at the back of the hall, polishing the surface.

"Winky! Winky, I've got someone to introduce you to"

The small creature crept forward, a wrinkled, short form, with huge oversized eyes and ears. She appeared to be wearing a small child's pinafore. McGonagall motioned towards Patricia, and said

"This is Patricia Glossop, she's new and she's just had a shocking incident with Peeves and would like a hot drink. What would you like?" Before Trish was able to introduce herself or object to the poor creature being ordered around at this hour when she was clearly busy, the creature replied in a high pitched voice.

"Of course Mistress, it will be a pleasure. Winky will get you whatever you want?" The enthusiasm in the creature's voice and look of expectancy silenced her.

"I don't think you'll have it but I could really do with a cup of red bush tea."  
McGonagall looked puzzled, but the creature started jumping up.

"Yes Mistress, Winky can make that, Professor Burbage was very fond of it. Would Mistress like any milk or sugar?"

"Milk, no sugar thanks" said Patricia and the creature wondered over to a cupboard and started rummaging. Trish wanted to ask what the thing was and how she'd never seen one before but couldn't find the words to ask it politely. Instead she just stood their looking between McGonagall and opening and closing her mouth.

"Oh, I'm sorry Patricia, I keep forgetting you aren't used to anything. Winky is a house-elf employed by the school. She's actually the only one employed by the school, the rest are owned by the school"

"Owned? They're slaves?"

"Yes, but they want to be slaves, and I'm not just saying that. They consider the very idea of freedom as disgusting. Winky is somewhat outcast from the others because of it."

"Oh, I see" but Trish wasn't convinced. She decided to investigate more later, but for now she'd feel a lot better with her cup of tea. She heard a whistling over by the elf. Well, obviously she thought, they'd have a quicker way of boiling water. A moment later the elf came back carrying a hug mug of red bush tea and McGonagall suggested that they head to the staff room so that she could go and drink it in peace.  
As they left the kitchens, Trish noticed that the corridor continued along a little further and there were large pictures regarding her quizzically from the other end.

"Are their any rooms down there?" she asked as they started walking away.

"Yes, there's Professor Sprout's room and the Hufflepuff common room and dormitories" said McGonagall without looking back or at Trish.

"It must be very tempting living down here?" commented Trish.

"Why?" asked McGonagall suspiciously.

"Well if you get the munchies in the night you just have to pop next door" said Trish attempting to lighten the mood.

They had just climbed the stairs into the entrance hall, something nearing a smile spread over McGonagall's face.

"I suppose that explains…" McGonagall's voice trailed off as she saw a small group coming in the large front door and her face became deadly serious. Patricia looked from McGonagall's face to the group. They were caped, and were all facing away from Trish and McGonagall as one of them closed the heavy wooden doors against the wet night.

The first to turn around was an old man in a long purple cape, and a pair of half moon spectacles with the longest white beard Trish had ever seen. She was convinced for a second that she was face to face with Merlin but decided that she not to risk asking. He didn't notice her because before he could say anything McGonagall ran over to them.

"Dumbledore!" Trish was glad she'd kept her mouth shut.

"It's so good to see you again! All three of you" And as Trish looked on, shocked, McGonagall proceeded to hug the man who looked like Merlin, then a woman with a long grey cloak on and then she went to hug the last man who was all in black. He had shoulder length black greasy hair, a beaky nose and stood rigid, hands clenched and face showing the revulsion that such unwanted physical contact would create. McGonagall stepped back.

"And despite everything, Severus, I'm even glad to see you" she said, just about regaining her self control and standing more upright.

"The same can't be said for me I'm afraid." Said the man who resembled Dracula but without fangs.

"It seemed like only a couple of days ago I was headmaster, and Severus has had the same sensation, no time has passed for us, Minerva."

"What about that ring, the curse?" asked McGonagall.

"It seems to have been lifted, everyone who came back, came back in perfect health" said Merlin almost cheerily then added.

"Remus Lupin and his wife will be joining us at a later date, they are presently getting to know their son. This situation is tricky for everyone, it will take time to adjust again, but it is good to be back." He looked around the hall and in his sweep his eyes fell on Trish, who was just starting walk slowly towards the door.

"Will you introduce us, Minerva?" he said turning to look at her. Suddenly the eyes of the three new comers were on her. Trish was strongly aware that they were dressed rather differently to her, and that to them, she was an alien, an outsider.

"Oh I'm sorry m'dear, this is Patricia Glossup. She's Hogwarts first muggle teacher, teaching Muggle Studies of course." Trish could tell that though McGonagall tried to say this with enthusiasm, her real opinion was otherwise. The woman and Merlin looked politely interested at this, smiling at her, but the expression of Dracula hid nothing. His look of revulsion had only increased when he heard she was muggle.

At that moment something in Trish clicked. A new resolve formed in her. She would make these people like her. And that meant everyone. Even this biased, rude, ugly man who judged people without knowing them. Even the house that hated everything she was and stood for. Even the school that didn't want her there at all. Even the ghost who wanted her dead. She would make them see that muggles were their equals, not stupid and weak as these people viewed them. She would change their perspective and that was final. This thought process took less than a second. Holding out her hand to the man who looked like Merlin she said.

"Trish, nice to meet you"

"Albus Dumbledore, a pleasure to meet you too" said Merlin, obviously impressed by her enthusiasm.

"Charity Burbage, a pleasure as well, I look forward to joining you in Muggle Studies. I'm sure with you here we can make some great improvements to the department." Said the woman honestly.

Finally, thought Trish, someone who doesn't think I'm an idiot. She turned to shake dracula's hand, but one look at his face showed that this wasn't an option. Trish was quite glad, if his hand was anything like his hair, it wouldn't be a pleasant experience.  
"Shall we go into the staff room, it's freezing out here" said McGonagall, ushering the small group towards the door.


	5. Chapter 4 The One with the Food Fight

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Four – So it Begins

The old teachers headed straight off to their rooms to avoid seeing the pupils until their official entrance that night. After the feast the night before Trish was rather disappointed with breakfast later that morning. It wasn't that it wasn't nice enough, the fried food was cooked to perfection but Trish had looked forward to a vast array of different cereals, but all that she could see was porridge and a box of children's serial which appeared where the deputy head would sit if he and the other two arrivals had not been fast asleep in bed. She was tempted to go and steal it, but then again who knew what it really was. But it gave her an idea. She was just emerging from the kitchens when she bumped into Sprout who was emerging from her rooms near the Hufflepuff common room.

"Professor Glossop, I hope there wasn't anything wrong with your breakfast?" asked Sprout, indicating that if there was the problem would be with Trish. Trish bit her tongue and suppressed the urge to ask if Sprout was referring to poison.

"Oh, no, it was lovely, I just wanted to see what we were having for dinner tonight" she lied, smiling at Sprout.

"Oh, well Professor Bunbury was just looking for you; she was heading up to the Muggle Studies corridor". With that Sprout breezed off. Trish got the impression that Professor Sprout wasn't overjoyed at her place in Hufflepuff. But she had got one plan underfoot and many more were hatching in her mind, and the best place to go now, was up to Muggle Studies. Entering the classroom she had been shown on her first night she saw Professor Bunbury looking sceptically at a pile of objects neatly packaged in one corner.

Professor Bunbury was a middle-aged witch of a traditional persuasion, judging by her clothes. She wore a full length lilac dress with tight sleeves, a high collar and a small wide rimmed pointed hat. Trish wouldn't have called her anti-muggle, because that was certainly not the case. However most of the material that Trish had been passed on her first evening at the school had been ridiculously outdated and seriously inaccurate as far as Trish could see. There was no mention of the internet in any of the books that Trish saw and the few mentions of mobile phones had pictures of women from the early 80s with padded shoulders, perms and huge brick-sized phones.

Trish had asked whether there was any later material than this, and was told this was the latest. In a slightly upset manner she had asked whether they wanted her to teach the curriculum or reality. She was relieved when McGonagall had emphasised that the whole point of her being there was to update the department.  
They had given her a fund, and almost dared her to do her worst. Trish wasn't sure if this was because they wanted her to revolutionise the department or because they wanted to see the back of her. So she had jumped right in and ordered everything she could think of baring a guitar and sound system. And much of this is what was lying in tidy bundles on the floor.

"I have asked Professor Smith to come and help you install all of the illecktrickal things you've purchased, though I doubt he'll have any luck. He should be here in a…" said Professor Bunbury

"Good morning Prof Bunbury, Miss Glossop, you're looking a lot better, what toys have you got for me to play with?" babbled Professor Smith coming into the room, hands in pockets, a childish grin on his face.

"Plenty Professor Smith, it may take you a while I'm afraid, I got an interactive whiteboard, a projector, a DAB digital radio with CD player, four school laptops, my laptop, and a wireless modem and that's only in here." Said Trish looking slightly guiltily at Professor Smith who merely grinned inanely and said

"Lets get started"

The White board was in place and linked to Trish's laptop. The Projector was working and floating against the wall, a foot from the ceiling where Bunbury had somehow permanently settled it. Trish was dreading the day she had to reboot the thing, but Professor Smith didn't seem too worried. The four student laptops were up and running round a couple of desks pushed together and the modem was working despite having no phone line or a plug. Her mobile was working and Professor Smith was working on the radio and CD player.

Trish meanwhile had started putting up some of the posters she had ordered to adorn her room. A Ghostbuster's poster had already been blutaked to the front of the door, and she was just standing on top of a desk trying to place a poster of Captain Jack from Pirates of the Caribbean where she could see it if she was teaching. She was just on tiptoe, the desk wobbling a little precariously when a loud static screech shocked her into dropping to her knees and hugging her ears. As quickly as it had started, it stopped, and Trish turned round to see Professor Smith hugging the radio, his gadget in his right hand and his eyes wide. He looked up at Trish and said apologetically,

"Well at least we know the radio works. Just needs a little tuning"

"It's DAB, does it need tuning?" asked Trish as Professor Smith continued to fiddle with wires and poke around.

"What was that noise, miss?" asked a couple of students looking round the door.

"It was just Professor Smith destroying my new radio, now how would you two like to help me?" asked Trish brightly before they could leave. The two students looked less than impressed.

"Look I know I'm not exactly the most popular teacher, but surely there must be some way to encourage you to help. I may not be in Slytherin but I'm not above bribery in these sorts of cases. What do you want?"

"House points?" said one optimistically.

"Sounds like appropriate payment to me, now what are your names"

"Sally"

"Becky"

"Ok Sally and Becky, would you like to choose some posters and start putting them up, but leave those four big squares."

The girls started sifting through the posters, mumbling that they weren't moving but said nothing to Trish. Then the girl called Sally turned to Trish and said,

"Professor, who's this" holding up a larger picture of Captain Jack, holding a sword, with the sun setting brightly behind him.

"You haven't seen Pirates of the Caribbean?" asked Trish looking shocked. The blank looks on the faces of the girls confirmed her fears

"You're in for a treat, this" she said indicating the poster "is Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?" The two students looked at the poster and then at Miss Glossop.

"Are you feeling alright Miss?" asked Becky.

"I'm fine, but the first thing I'm going to do when I next see the headmistress is ask her if we can have a movie night."

The evening meal that day was an interesting experience. Trish lost her usual seat to Dracula and was too scared to ask to swap. Merlin went to stand up and talk, only realising half way that he was no longer headmaster, and sat down, grinning and amused as McGonagall got up, glaring at him. After Merlin, Dracula and Proffesor Burbage had been reintroduced, the meal was served and Dracula looked down at the food which had appeared before him with a look of utter contempt.

"What is this?" he asked no-one in particular, although his voice was loud enough for the staff table, if not the nearer ends of the house tables to hear.

"I'm sorry Mr Snape, that's my chicken tikka masala. If we can just swap…" said Trish trying to apologise.

"It's _Professor_ Snape, here, have you muggle rubbish" with a gesture from a wand he had produced from seemingly no-where her threw the chicken dish through the air, face down onto Trish's lap, and more importantly onto her skirt. For a moment Trish just stared down at her lap then turned on Dracula.

"This skirt was _brand new._ From _Monsoon._ Do you know _how expensive_ they are?" she shouted at him.

"I think it's an improvement" said Dracula pulling her bowl of soup in front of him. Trish saw red, grabbed the bowl and poured it over his head. For a second he was absolutely still, the hall was silent, then, rising in as graceful a movement as one can do with a bowl of mixed vegetable soup dripping over their hair Dracula yelled

"How dare you!"

"I don't know, I think it's an improvement!" snapped Trish,

Then the hall erupted. The Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables exchanged food, unfortunately managing to catch quite a few Gryffindors and Ravenclaws in the attempt. A few ran from the hall, but most decided that this was a great opportunity to start a school wide food fight and within seconds you couldn't tell if anyone was fighting anyone in particular except the high arching buttered bread rolls flying from Slytherin to Hufflepuff. The Headmistress stood up and received a large glob of school mash potato to her face and dress. Everyone stood still, even Trish and Dracula who were arguing over whose fault the food fight was. McGonagall slowly wiped the mash potato off and then looked round the hall.

"I have never seen such appalling behaviour from this school in all my years. Quidditch is banned for the entire first term, everyone will go to bed an hour early, meals, for as long as I deem necessary, will be eaten in complete silence and homework will be doubled."

Evil looks were thrown across the room from the students to each other but most were aimed at Trish and Dracula. Most were aimed at Trish, and Dracula seemed immune to any that missed Trish.

"Now go to you dormitories at once, clean up and straight to bed, anyone still out of bed in an hour will lose twenty points from their house!" The children filed slowly out of the hall. Trish could see a grin on some faces who thought it worth the punishment, but there were anger on many as well. As the last child left the hall, the Headmistress, and the rest of the staff turned on Trish and Dracula.

"What were you two thinking? What in Merlin's name is going on?" Trish felt herself going red.

"I asked the elves to get me something different to eat. He sat where I thought I'd be sitting and got my meal instead. I politely asked to swap but he threw it at me,"

"So you threw yours back at him?"

"I'm sorry headmistress," Trish hung her head, feeling as if she was back in school herself.

"It was childish, a terrible example in front of the whole school. And you will apologise for it, tomorrow, in front of the whole school. Ten points from Hufflepuff, now go and clear yourself up and stay out of my way until tomorrow morning" with that Trish was dismissed and started making her way along the length of the hall.

"You should have fired her on the spot, it would save a lot of trouble" came Dracula's slimy voice as Trish walked through the main doors. She turned around and listened, fuming that he'd not been punished.

"I know that's what I should do with _you_! Throwing food at the first muggle teacher in a wizarding school! What do you want, Severus, to hand Hogwarts to the ministry on a plate, I've fought for seventeen years to keep this school independent and within hours of your arrival that's in jeopardy. You will apologise, _first,_ And you will make sure that I have no further reason to fire _you_! Fifty points from Slytherin!" screamed McGonagall.


	6. Chapter 5 The One with Three Classes

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Five, Classes

Saturday night was uneventful, but Trish knew that after her first night it was going to take a while before she could sleep peacefully. The 'Bloody Baron', whoever he was, had obviously been consulted, although she wasn't sure that this was such a good thing. Sunday was the day of the infamous apologies, both herself and Snape, quite obviously against their wills apologising for their behaviour, to each other and to the school. Thankfully the headmistress had not insisted on their shaking hands.

Despite the apology Trish wasn't feeling as guilty about the incident as she felt she should. Mainly because she felt that Dracula had deserved the treatment, but also because it had somehow earned her the respect of a couple teachers who had known Snape, especially one Professor Longbottom, who privately expressed the wish to have done it himself. The rest still claimed she had been extremely childish, but a nagging and rebellious part of her felt triumphant about the incident.

Monday morning quickly arrived and with it Trish's first class, fourth year Gryffindor. She entered the class to find them in groups around the desks, chatting.

"Goodmorning class, welcome to your first Muggle Studies class of the year, please can you all sit yourself at a desk now and pay attention." For a moment the class hushed and weighed her up in their minds. She was found wanting in seconds and the class returned to their discussions, a group at the back brought out a pack of cards and started dealing.

"Class we are starting now, turn round" no change occurred, and Miss Glossop felt as if she may as well have been addressing a her cat, but felt her cat may have shown more reaction.

"Class, please don't make me punish you on your first day". A murmur of laughter filled the class and died away in a second. Threats from a muggle obviously didn't carry much weight.

"Class, I will only ask you once more, sit down and pay attention, please" said Miss Glossop in her most authoritative voice. Still no change occurred in the class's behaviour. Flustered Miss Glossop looked round and saw that two girls at the front, Becky and Sally, who had helped her decorate the room, were sitting silently, quills out ready to write. Suddenly Miss Glossop had an idea.

"Becky, can you please write down what I dictate.  
"_Dear Professor McGonagall.  
I am sorry to report that due to completely unacceptable behaviour, including failure to follow direct instructions, blatant rudeness and a general lack of manners, all Fourth Year Gryffindors, bar Becky and Sally, are in detention every day for two weeks, including both Saturdays, and …_"

Becky, is there any sports that any of this class participate in?" The class were glaring at Becky, the room had gone ominously quiet. Becky could sense their looks because she went bright red but said,

"Quidditch" all the same.

"Traitor!" cried a voice from the back.

"If you think I wouldn't have asked Professor McGonagall myself when I saw her, you're very much mistaken, continue writing Becky  
…_and they will be banned from all Quidditch matches and practices for the remainder of this year. I am writing to inform you, because, as their head of house I felt that you should be aware of such behaviour, so as to combat any detrimental influence they may have had on younger years._  
_Yours Sincerely  
Miss Glossop_."

"You can't do that, you don't have the power"

"If you mean I don't have magic enough to physically make you come to detentions, then no, I myself do not have that ability, but my fellow teachers do. I think you'll find they'll back me over yourselves. I hear Professor McGonagall is as straight as they come. But if you mean I don't have the jurisdiction, the authority, to punish students then you are seriously misinformed. I am a fully qualified teacher with the prerogative to punish students as I deem necessary."

"Let's wipe her memory" said a boy, slamming his cards down and singeing his hand slightly, as something exploded under it. A number of voices

"We could get arrested!"

"You can't do that spell, even Professor Flitwick can't"

"Go on, try it. Let's see if those anti-spell things Professor McGonagall put on me work hey?" said Trish in her most 'Bring it on' voice, making a mental note to ask Professor McGonagall if such a think existed next time she saw her.

"She's calling your bluff"

"You think your teachers are idiots don't you." She said, kicking herself that they were.

"I suggest, Becky, you add threatening behaviour to that list of offenses on the letter, as well as illegal use of magic, I've been researching, can you tell" Miss Glossop was impressed with the reaction to this, especially considering she had taken the illegal part from their own discussions, but kept a serious face as they re-arranged the desks and sat down.

"Now that I have your attention, just because I am a 'muggle' and this is 'muggle' studies, does not mean that you can ignore me and sit around doing your own thing. Now, I want you sitting boy, girl, boy, girl, you two, go and hand out those exercise books and biro's, yes those, and copy what I'm going to write on the board, and if you do exactly what I say you might not have detentions on Saturdays."

In comparison, in another part of the school, a quiet and patient first year class of Slytherins were still awaiting the arrival of their teacher. They had just quietly agreed to leave and head to the common room when Professor Smith walked calmly through the door as if nothing was the matter, followed shortly by Professor Noble who was carrying a large box full of things, on top of which was an old-fashioned reel of film.

"Just dump that at the back, Donna, thanks. Now, Good morning class, are we sitting comfortably? I'm glad you all found the room alright," Professor Smith took a piece of chalk from his blazer pocket and starting writing on the board.

"Defence against the Dark Arts, write that, somewhere. Lets think about that shall we, what exactly are Dark Arts?" A polite, neat looking girl with straight white blonde hair, neatly clipped back at the sides, raised her white hand demurely.

"Yes, and your name is?" asked Professor Smith smiling.

"Abelinda, sir" she said, her face remaining very serious

"Yes, and Dark Arts are?" he asked.

"Bad Spells and Potions used by Dark wizards against others for their harm, sir" she said, her face remaining serious.

"Like your Dad!" jeered a boy with black hair at the back.

"So was yours! It's not exactly something to be proud of!" Hissed back the girl venomously. The rest of the class started making ominous noises like they weren't to impressed by the girl.

"Oi! Lets settle down shall we, That's a good try, good try, good name as well, for a Slytherin, Beautiful Snake. I'm guessing your parents were in Slytherin, yep, and your Grandparents, and Great Grandparents, and Great Great … and anyway, is Dark Arts just bad wizards?"

"Attacks from magical creatures, sir?" asked a boy from the back.

"Yes, and your name is?"

"Milo, Professor"

"Yes, Milo, and that's what we are starting with, so, lets hear some names of dangerous magical creatures please"

"Well there's Boggarts," said Milo

"And Werewolves" said Abelinda

"Endopsychic Chimeramorphs" corrected Professor Smith, writing it up neatly,

"and Lupine Wavelength Haemovariforms" and he started drawing on the board.

"What?" asked Milo exasperatedly.

"They are the technical terms for Boggarts and Werewolves, the first a creature that attacks it's prey via negative thought processes in the prey's mind, which it uses to incapacitate it, the second a being which invades the body, gradually building up genetically, or transferring in one bite, enslaving the host. Famous werewolves include Sarah Jessica Parker, and of course, Russell Brand." He finished drawing with a flourish. The class had gone strangely silent, but the teacher and his assistant seemed unaware of this.

"That's the worst Werewolf ever!" said Donna loudly from the back.

"Hey, that's an accurate representation of the one that bit Queen Victoria" said Professor Smith Indignantly,

"Donna, put on the projector please" Professor Smith aimed his stick thing at the ceiling and the lights went out, as a voice was heard to say

"Professor Lupin is a Werewolf, professor."

"Yeah, well he's regularly fed…some…suppressant which immobilises the parasite, probably some mistletoe derivative, anyway, shall we take a look at some monsters, and discuss how to combat them?" Despite no response, Professor Smith nodded and the projector buzzed into life. An image of a wolf on its hind legs with barred teeth appeared, apparently walking towards the camera, hands to it's sides, eyes narrowed, teeth barred.

"So, what would we do if we met a Werewolf?" asked Professor Smith. Hands were tentatively raised.

"Stupefy?"

"Nope" Professor Smith leant back against the desk.

"Expecto Petronum?"

"Nope" he said shacking his head and sticking his bottom lip out a bit.

"Avada Kadavra?" asked a quiet girl at the back.

"Now you know that's unforgivable!" said Professor Smith seriously.

"That's terrible!" said Donna from the back.

"So, what's the answer?" asked Abelinda, looking between the two of them.

"Run" said Professor Smith seriously,

"Next picture"

"Because we're not qualified?" asked Abelinda.

"If you want" said Professor Smith strangely.

An image of a hooded and ghostly figure looking over a log appeared, then quickly disappeared just as four short people came into view under the log.

"Every hand in the room shot up"

"Dementers!" was the unanimous decision, as Donna stifled a laugh and hid the Lord of the Rings Dvd case.

"And what do we do?" asked Professor Smith.

"Run?" sarcastically asked the boy who had taunted Abelinda.

"Yep, next picture."

This was a simple black and white photo of a girl surrounded by obviously fake faeries. A giggle rippled over the class.

"Oh come on Professor, faeries don't exist and if they did I don't think they'd be dangerous" said a girl from the front.

"My colleague, Professor Harkness, from Torchwood institute, informs me that faeries are certainly real and by no means harmless. Deadly with rose petals, in fact." The children started laughing but Professor Smith's serious face made them uneasy and the laughter evaporated quickly. The next picture to appear on the screen was a room, with a lampshade in one corner and a table in the centre.

"What's wrong with this picture?" asked Professor Smith, putting his glasses on then forcing his hands into his pockets. There was a stunned silence as the children looked at the picture then at each other.

"The Angle?" mocked one boy.

"The Lighting" mocked another.

"Professor, I don't know if this is right, but that table has two shadows, and there's only one light" said Abelinda apprehensively.

"Absolutely correct, ten house points." Said Professor Smith

"Bad shadows, most likely Vashta Nerada" he said writing it up neatly next to the other two names and adding faeries and ringwraiths, before rubbing it out and writing dementor.

"Just run, ok, always, just run, not through it though, obviously. Next image"

"But Sir, what is a Vashta Nerada?" Asked Abelinda.

"Piranhas in the air, will literally rip the flesh off of you in milliseconds, stay out of the shadows. Especially forests and libraries, they cling onto you as a second shadow, just run" and with that he moved on. A stone statue of an angel weeping over a grave appeared.

This time the laugh couldn't be distinguished from a slight groan. No one spoke. Professor Smith looked around expectantly.

"No? Lonely assassins, send you back in time, permanently, often appear as stone angels covering their eyes. Run. Actually, NO! No, no, no, don't run, the only exception, keep looking at them, don't move, don't look around, don't even blink."  
Everyone had gone very pale and very quiet. Regardless of their opinion of their teacher, they had to admit there was a certain eeriness about the statue, and they all stared at it for some time until Milo broke the silence, saying.

"Why?"

"Well…" said Professor Smith getting up and starting to draw on the free space that was on the board.

"Here we go?" came a loud whisper from Donna at the back.

"The 'assassins' are Quantum locked which means whilst you look at them they cannot leave the position they are in. However, once you stop looking at them they are Quantum wave forms and can move at infinite speeds. I hope you've got these terms all down, I'll be testing you next week."

"So what's that?" asked Abelinda pointing to Professor Smith's drawing.

"That's an adipose, cute eh, dya like it?" he asked smiling inanely.

"Anyway, homework, make a list of monsters for next week." As the class filed out, Milo came forward and asked.

"Professor, what's the scariest creature you've ever met?"

"That's a tough question" he said noting Donna's warning glare, which said mention anything too alien and we're busted.

"I worked with teachers who were really child eating, evil bat things" he said cheerily, Donna shock her head.

"Have you met Professor Snape, Professor?" asked Milo  
"Yeah, but these were really, evil… I mean they could fl… they killed…they slept in the… they made the children…they weren't huma…you know you've got a very good point, maybe we should look into that" He made a note in a notepad.

"So, what have you learned from this lesson?"

"Run?" asked Milo

"Exactly, well done"

As both classes filed out, giving warning looks to the classes lined up outside, the Fourth year Gryffindors were preparing for their first potions lesson. They were sitting quietly in the dungeon as Dracula-Snape made his signature swooping entrance in an attempt to intimidate the students. He read the register, pausing when he got to the name,

"Potter!" he spat out, as if the name were a parsnip he'd thought was a potato. But his eyes widened further, as he noted the child also possessed Lily's eyes, and Harry's, and (more importantly) James' looks. He finished the register, limiting himself to only giving Albus one long maleficent look, who looked more offended than Harry ever had. He moved swiftly on to his customary introduction to potions.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic…" The hand of a young girl was in the air. When Snape regarded her, noting the ginger, wild hair and freckles, and look of determination. He was sure her face looked familiar, but he was unable to work out who she reminded him of.

"What!" he snapped realising he'd stopped speaking.

"When you say that this subject requires little 'foolish wand-waving', what exactly does it involve?" she said, unfazed by his severe gaze.

"You will be carefully follow the instructions I give you, preparing ingredients and brewing them in your cauldrons. You…" again he was interrupted.

"So, it's cooking?" this time the interruption was from a young light brown haired boy.

"So, Potions is essentially Home Economics" concluded the girl with the ginger hair, an eyebrow slightly raised. Snape seethed, reddening with anger at the presumption of the students and went to the register to confirm his suspicions.

"You're a Weasley aren't you!" he hissed at the girl,

"Another Weasley brat, which Weasley brat's brat are you? You look familiar but then all of you do!" The girl looked fuming, her face red as her hair, but something in the way she also looked upset reminded Snape of someone else. Annoyed that he could not remember, Snape turned his attention back on Albus, who was fiddling with his quill.

"Potter!" he loomed over the desk.

"Do you know the difference between Wolfsbane and Wormwood?"  
The boy didn't look up, but muttered something under his breath, which could have been "I hate you", but then just as easily "Who cares?" or "Push off you big-nosed, rubber-faced…"

"What did you say Potter!" said Snape through glenched teeth.

"Nothing, sir" said Albus, angry eyes looking up at Snape.

"Detention!" said Snape,

"That's not fair," said the red haired girl,

"Excuse me!" hissed Snape, turning to face the Ginger girl.

"There is no difference between Wormwood and Wolfsbane, they're two names for the same thing. That's the right answer." Snape stared at her menacingly. Then the proverbial knut dropped, the impatient hand, the determined face, and now this.

"Granger?" The girl's expression became slightly worried.

"Your parents are Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, presumably Hermione Weasley now. And you the most annoying parts of both of them, the know-it-all and the jack-the-lad. Always breaking the rules and finding 'inventive' ways to escape their just rewards. Getting into scrapes and then saving each other from them, how sickening, childhood sweet-hearts." his nose wrinkles as he said this, as if someone had put their smelly shoe under his nose, and he slowly turned away. The girl seemed about to snap back, but Albus jumped in first.

"You're pathetic. My Dad said you were the bravest person he ever knew. What did you do, change his memory? I hate you!"

With that young Albus stalked from the room. The class watched him leave and then turned to look at Snape with expectant faces. He quickly set them some work and sat simmering at the front, pretending to write something with his quill. Albus was walked in by Professor McGonagall a couple of minutes later. He looked calmer although he gave Snape a very strange, almost pitying look when he came in. McGonagall walked to the front of the class as Albus took his seat.

"You're lucky I caught him, Severus" The whole class could hear her whisper and like a class full of cats, suddenly everyone's ears had pricked up and were intent on hearing their conversation.

"His father is head Auror now and understandably very well connected at the ministry. If he finds out you're treating his children like you treated him, regardless of the work you did, he will get you fired. I strongly suggest, Severus, that you do something" Both teachers suddenly became aware of the silence and turned to see a class full of attentive faces, no quills were moving. Considering her duty fulfilled, McGonagall left the room and Snape was left wondering what he'd done in a previous life to deserve this fate. And then he remembered.


	7. Chapter 6 The One with the Founders

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Six

About a week later things were beginning to settle into a routine. Trish had learnt to ignore people's (mainly Snape's) attempts to scare her. This had been difficult at first owing mainly to the attempts involving inanimate objects moving, or ghosts jumping out at her. Her classes seemed to be getting used to the idea of a muggle teacher, and she had learnt a few tricks about keeping them under control.

Unfortunately control in class didn't necessarily translate to outside of them. An unforeseen problem had arisen amongst the students. Trish had seen it first hand as she was walking along a corridor one day. A couple of boys were walking along, behind Professor McGonagall, when Trish noticed that they were humming a song. Trish was horrified when she recognised "Everybody wants to be a cat" and was even more horrified when Professor McGonagall turned round, and, fuming, accosted the boys. But it got worse, as the main boy, one Scorpius Malfoy, turned to Professor McGonagal, waved his had across in front of him and said

"These are not the drones you are looking for"

Trish could only look on in horror as they walked past Professor McGonagall looking smug. Professor McGonagall turned and shouted something after them which sounded a lot to Trish like,

"Scorpius Malfoy, if you don't get back here this instant I'll turn you and your friends into toilet brushes and use you to clean the staff toilets!" Scorpius Malfoy stopped suddenly and rather rigidly turned round and walked back to Professor McGonagall. She was just giving him a long list of punishments when Dumbledore appeared, smiling benignly.

"Now Minerva, that sounds a little harsh to me"

"Mr. Malfoy I will see you later for your detention" snapped McGonagall. Scorpius was looking expectantly at Dumbledore but he took the hint and scarpered when McGonagall added.

"You may leave now, Mr. Malfoy!". Dumbledore was looking innocent when McGonagall suddenly turned on him. She was a rather vibrant colour of crimson, and her head was shaking just slightly.

"I do not appreciate being undermined in front of the students, Dumbledore. Remember whose headteacher now!" With that she stormed off with a dramatic swish of her dress. Trish was left feeling incredibly guilty for being unintentionally responsible for the bad behaviour and the argument.

Things didn't improve. Trish had found that despite subsequent uninterrupted nights, she had still found it difficult to sleep at Hogwarts. The fear of a homicidal spectre floating with a pillow above her bed still kept her eyes wide open and she had started, in her sleeplessness, to explore the castle by night. Of course in any other castle this would probably have been alright, she had a torch and common sense enough not to jump at every noise or try and use the stairs that moved. But, far greater dangers await late night wanderers at Hogwarts.

However, Trish did not meet them that night, or for many nights. That night she made her way down to the kitchen and conversed with the house-elf called Winky, as she had for the past couple of nights. Winky made excellent hot chocolate and was interested in hearing about what went on in the school whilst the elves were working. She told Trish about how she would relate her stories later on to the other elves, and how the house-elves now all eagerly awaited the latest news. But that was not all.

Tonight Winky told Trish about her past, with the Crouch's and how, although she felt more accepted now, she had felt a disgrace. She had been reminded of it with the arrival of another house elf, Dobby, who had been killed around the same time as Dracula. His arrival was causing her some stress and she had admitted to Trish that she found it hard to confide her feelings to the others. House elves apparently were notorious gossips. After their talk Trish was just heading up to bed when nature called. She was passing by a girls toilets at the time and took the opportunity. She was just washing her hands when she was startled by a young girls voice behind her.

"These are girls toilets, not staff toilets. You shouldn't be using them."  
Trish turned around slowly to be faced by the ghost of a girl in a Hogwarts uniform, with circular black-rimmed glasses and pony tails on each side of her head.

"Hi, I'm Miss Glossop, I'm the new muggle studies teacher here" she said, trying to sound as confident as possible, despite her increasing heart-rate.

"I know, you hate ghosts, Binns told me, I don't like you" she said all this, arms crossed, very 'matter of fact'ly.

"I, I tried apologising to Binns, he...he wouldn't listen. I don't hate g...ghosts." Trish reached round for the basin for support.

"Why are you trembling. You're scared aren't you! Your going to faint again aren't you!" The ghost started floating slowly towards her

"No! No, I am not." the colour returned to Trish's cheeks, and she stood up straighter.

"I've just had a rather unsettling run in with your poltergeist"

"I heard he threw a cushion at you" said the ghost in a derogatory fashion, plainly considering Trish as a coward.

"Then you heard wrong, he tried to suffocate me with my own pillow."

"You'rer lying" This comment was made with the same matter-of-fact manner as all previous comments which was beginning to grate on Trish's temper.

"I had to wrench it off, using both hands and feet, I hardly think he can claim he was throwing it" The ghost looked slightly shocked by Trish's anger and her determined expression. She was silent. Recovering her matter-of-fact look the ghost pointed past Trish and said.

"You see that tap there, it leads down to a secret chamber" she said, her tone not changing.

"Pull the other one" said Trish without thinking.

"Excuse me?" The ghost turned her head on one side, and looked at Trish strangely.

"It means pull the other leg. A secret chamber, what is it, a storage area?"

"No, it was a series of underground tunnels built by the most evil wizard in existence to house the basilisk which killed me. It's dead now. But if you speak parseltongue you can still open the entrance. They tried to seal they entrance, but they couldn't. There's some kind of " Trish was staring at the tap, then suddenly turned round.

"What's Parcel-tongue?" Trish asked.

"It's what snakes speak" replied the ghost. Trish quizzically raised an eyebrow.

"You're trying to tell me that snakes can speak, what do they say 'Open Ssssssesssssame'?"

There was a grating noise and the ghost was looking at Trish strangely. She slowly turned round to see a hole where the sinks had been. Trish turned back to the young ghost.

After a few seconds a smile appeared slowly across her face.

"Well, it seems the _muggle_ isn't as useless as she looks. Lets go explore" She was heading towards the hole when she turned round.

"Are you coming?" she asked the ghost who was hovering warily near the wall.

"Oh no, I'm not going down there! That's where IT came from"

"What?"

"The monster that killed me"

"I thought you said it was dead"

"It is but..."

"Then there's nothing to fear, come on... or are you a scaredy cat?" Without waiting for the ghost to answer she jumped down the hole. Trish often wondered why she didn't think twice about jumping down the hole. However, the only reason she could think of was Why not? She landed in a tangle of weeds which tightened around her as she struggled. Fortunately for Trish she had been given a Chinese finger trap as a christmas present as a child and had quickly learned that struggling didn't help these sorts of situations. So she went very still as she considered what to do. After a couple of seconds the tangle of weeds released her and she landed with a bump.

"Professor! Professor! are you alright!"

"Yes!" said Trish getting up and rubbing her bum which was offended by the rough treatment.

"I never asked your name" she said as she went to call the ghosts name and realised she didn't know it.

"Myrtle" said the ghost floating below the weeds.

"Nice to meet you Myrtle, you coming?" Without waiting for an answer Trish walked on. In the next room she entered where many keys flying through the air. She looked around her and her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. She stood for a moment considering the best way to tackle the problem.

"I don't suppose you could grab that key, Myrtle" asked Trish hopefully.

"I'm not a poltergeist" said Myrtle, rubbing her arm.

"Oh well," said Trish and stood thinking for a moment. Then she looked up and smiled slightly. She went back to the room she had landed in and found, after much rummaging in the dark, a small flower pot. Underneath it was a key. Trish chuckled to herself as she thought that she'd have done the same thing, and of all the people who had tried to catch the other one. As she looked up she saw the crumpled wings of an old key and guessed that maybe a few people had succeeded.

The next room she entered revealed a larger than life chess set. Trish thought her luck was unbelievable.

"Two time Southward Road School Chess Champion, come on!" Then she remembered how many years ago that was and mentally kicked herself for never having played since.

"Er Myrtle, hows your chess?"

Later Trish stood in the middle of the empty chamber looking at the huge statue of an old man's head. Light seemed to be coming from somewhere in the ceiling. One arm was crossed, the hand holding the elbow of the other arm, the hand of which was firmly clasping her nose closed.

"Why?" she asked after a few moments silence.

"What?" asked Myrtle, hovering nervously above her, looking every few seconds at the rotting corpse of a huge snake-like creature which was the only object which adorned the room.

"Exactly!" said Trish obviously. The ghost stared at her with a confused expression, her head on one side.

"I don't understand" she replied after a few seconds.

"What is the point of this chamber?" asked Trish glancing up at Myrtle.

"It held the snake" said Myrtle, as if it was obvious and perfectly sensible.

"Why?" asked Trish, fed up with the unquestioned logic of the school.

"To wreak havoc on Hogwarts, to destroy all mudbloods!"

"Seems like a very hit and miss way to do it, and anyway, what if no-one ever opened it. Whoever made this must have been thinking very long-term. What are the secrets it hides anyway?" questioned Trish, all the while, holding her nose.

"The snake!" said Myrtle, sensing that the conversation was going round in circles.

"Oh come on! You go to all the effort of building a secret chamber without anyone's knowledge, just to stick a dirty great snake in it in the hope that some day in the future some student will accidentally hiss next to a tap and unleash it. And come to that you're hoping that it has a taste for 'muggle-borns'. Sounds like a pretty rubbish plan to me. And its not as if the Basythingy was a particularly huge secret anyway."

"What are you saying?" said Myrtle, fearing that she may be beginning to follow the muggle's drift.

"I'm saying this is meant to be a 'Chamber of Secrets', and I don't think THAT was much of a secret" she said motioning at the corpse with her unused hand.

"I think the secret is still a secret" she said in conclusion, feeling like Sherlock Holmes solving a case.

Trish emerged from the girls toilets and into the hall saying.

"Night Myrtle!" and muttering to herself about the chamber being particularly rubbish.

She stopped suddenly as she heard something ahead of her, in the corridor leading into the hall. Looking down at her kid's watch with luminous hands, reading that the time was well past 2.30 in the morning, she thought

"What's someone up at this time?" The suspicious part of her mind decided to find out and without really thinking she ducked behind a door. As the footsteps got nearer she found she could discern two voices. McGonagall and Dumbledore were heading towards the hall. McGonagall was saying

"I don't understand why the ministry thinks this is a good idea. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm with Severus, it'll only cause more problems. It's not like we don't have enough already" McGonagall and Dumbledore emerged into the hall, in the light of a wand that McGonagall held up in front of them.

"Glad to see you listen to me, sometimes, Minerva" said Snape materialising out of the shadows to Trish's left. McGonagall and Dumbledore seemed unsurprised by his appearance, but Trish had had to work hard to suppress a yelp when he appeared. The more she saw of him, the more she was convinced he really was Count Dracula. So far all that was missing was the teeth.

"Unfortunately we have been left with no choice in the matter. The new Minister of Magic has personally and publicly accepted their request to visit" said Dumbledore in an almost cheery voice.

"Yes, woe to anyone who tries to get between Sebastian Montague and publicity" said McGonagall without smiling.

"Why are they coming at this hour?" asked Severus, glancing at McGonagall, looking down his nose. Although Snape's face looked disgusted, Trish for a moment thought that he wasn't actually trying to look disgusted. Maybe his face was just like, from years of bad treatment or something, so much that it was stuck like that. Then she remembered his triumphant look after the incident in the hall, and forgot about it. No-one who poured indian on a brand new monsoon skirt deserved sympathy.

"It was the ministry's request, a safety precaution. In case some over-zealous half-bloods try to kill Salazar Slytherin. Which, lets face it, would be understandable"

"If they're coming together, Godric Gryffindor will probably do it for them" muttered Snape dryly as Dumbledore glanced at a wrist-watch and McGonagall's face suggested that Snape might again be right. After a couple of seconds Snape spoke again.

"Why didn't they come by Floo?"

"Apparently the risk of a 'bugged' floo is greater then being shot out of the air" replied McGonagall without looking at him. This seemed all the explanation that was required and they continued standing in silence. All the while Trish was making careful mental notes. The people arriving sounded like the house names, therefore, considering the stories about how people had come back from the dead, it didn't take a great leap of the imagination to guess that these were the founders of Hogwarts. It also didn't take much to realise that being seen by a wizard who hated all muggles on the first night he arrives back at a school he considers his own is not a safe situation to be in if you are a muggle teacher, especially if you are wearing pink pyjamas with bunnies on. She decided it was probably best to get out of the founders ways, but unfortunately the door she was hiding behind, when she turned to look, turned out to be a broom cupboard door.

"Makes sense, I suppose" thought Trish considering magical forms of transport. Then she realised that if they were arriving by broom, which sounded quite likely, they'd want to put their brooms away. And they'd want to put them in the broom cupboard that she was hiding in. She put her hand on the handle and turned it slightly, hoping to escape when no-one was watching.

However, the hall was very quite and very large and Snape immediately turned and stared at the cupboard where Trish was hiding. Thankfully it was dark in the hall, the only light coming from the end of the wand that McGonagall carried. He was looking her straight in the eyes, looking slightly confused, and had just begun to turn round when a loud tap was heard the other side of the main doors. The door opened enough to admit in six cloaked figures. One voice immediately spoke very loudly.

"Five hundred years and you couldn't come up with a more comfortable form of transport then a stick with some more sticks stuck to the end." The owner of the voice threw his hood back to reveal a middle aged face, with curly black hair, pale skin, and a large nose, all framed with a beard that outlined his chin and mouth.

"Oh Sally, five hundred years and your still as bad tempered as the day you died" said a slightly younger witch who had just unveiled to reveal curly dark brown hair and a very cheery face.

"Yes, and your haven't improved with time either, Huff" The man appeared to be wearing a mid-length black shirty thing, with large arms, with a twisted snake on each arm, with a knife through them. He also appeared to be wearing tights and black boots. Another man was also there, with very curly blond hair and a small blond moustache, wearing a red mid length shirt which was tied up with a belt at the waist. He was also wearing a cloak which was held up with two impressive gold broaches. He looked around, put both of his hands on his hips and said.

"Well, I see they've kept my amazing decorating. Hey Weenie, I see My tower is still taller than yours!" he addressed this to another witch, wearing a long, old-fashined blue dress with shoulder length light brown, almost blond hair.

"It's highly unlikely that they would have moved them, Godric. Now shall we introduce ourselves" said the witch stepping forward towards McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape, who were staring open-mouthed at the arrivals.


	8. Chapter 7 The One with the Hidden Person

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Seven

Trish's late night/early morning spying was not discovered that night. Snape, who had been handed the founder's brooms to put away, was in such a daze that he wasn't even looking when he opened the small cupboard. Trish had simply taken the brooms from his hand, and closed the door. When their voices had faded away she had slipped out back to bed.

Elsewhere in the castle, someone else was watching the arrival of the founders with interest. A shadow stood in the dark corridor as they walked past. They did not noticing its presence. Snape paused for a moment and looked around, but continued on with the rest. The shadowy character stuck its tongue out at him. Still discussing the décor, they all left the room and the character spoke into its hand.

"It's them. They look younger than I thought…I suppose so…I'll see what I can do."  
At that moment the door handle at the end of the room turned,

"Hang on…"  
Snape entered and walked slowly down the corridor. The character stood still, hardly breathing, as Snape carefully crept down the hall, looking around him slowly. The character was staring directly at him, when Snape suddenly turned around quickly, his eyes quickly working to find something. His hand had gone straight to his robe from which he pulled a wand. He was facing away from the figure. The character was looking past Snape when a suit of armour suddenly went crashing to the ground. A door opened and shut and Snape went chasing through it too.

"I've got to go." Said the character into its hand and left the room.

Even before breakfast the next day the school was abuzz with the knowledge that the great heroes of wizarding legend had arrived. What they were like, looked like and how they had arrived were all already matters for speculation. Trish heard some say that they had burst from their pictures or statues, rather miraculously. This was quickly quashed by the more logical students, mainly the Ravenclaws, who pointed out that their statue was in perfect condition. Whatever their means of arrival, they were the legendary founders and everyone was excited and nervous to meet them.

They founders did not appear however until halfway through lunch. Trish was unhappily placed between Snape and McGonagall. Snape was taking the opportunity to inform McGonagall of his personal opinion of Godric Gryffindor. Trish, to her horror, had found herself half agreeing with Snape's analysis and so had ignored their conversation and was people-watching. Lily Potter and Albus Potter were having a conversation, whilst Rose Weasley aimed a small piece of food at the back of Scorpius Malfoy's head. Abelinda Malfoy was looking across at the Gryffindor table whilst Milo talked away to her unaware of her lack of concentration.

She was just about to start the game 'remember the names of the Hufflepuffs' when the founders made their grand entrance. At least Godric did, flinging the doors open, hands on hips, with a grin that said he owned the castle, which in a sense could be argued, he strode down the hall. Rowena, looking dignified walked in behind him. Helga attempted to look dignified but failed because she was started excitedly waving at her house. But Salazar looked practically moody walking behind them. This was confirmed when they reached the staff table, by the way he glared round the room, pulled his chair out abruptly and immediately started insulting the food. Trish looked at Salazar, then Snape and back. Helga went a pale colour and started picking at her food. Rowena glared at Salazar but he merely pulled a face back at her and moodily tucked in, as if being there was an effort.

"Even Baldrick cooked better than this!" said Salazar examining a piece of meat on the end of his fork.

"You shouldn't have fed him to Mildred then, Sally!" said Godric, laughing at his own wit. Salazar gripped his fork tighter and glared at Godric but didn't reply.

"Whose Mildred?" asked Flitwick who was sitting next to Rowena.

"Salazars precious pet Basilisk, don't worry, we locked it in when he left. It's fine"

"Ah" said Flitwick quietly enough to be heard along the table. There was a moment's silence. Salazar slowly turned and looked at Flitwick accusingly. Flitwick looked intimidated.

"Well, it got released, like you wanted and so it was killed"

"Excuse me? I wanted her released?" asked Salazar looking at Flitwick like he was mad.

"You didn't have a prophecy that your heir would open the chamber releasing the Basilisk to reek havoc on muggle-borns?" asked Flitwick more quietly still.

"Funnily enough no, I didn't predict that hundreds of years after my death some spotty adolescent would hiss at a tap. And Mildred was not known as a fussy eater, she would just as well have taken a bite out of Godric as out of a muggle-born. In fact she'd rather been looking forward to it." He said looking at Godric pointedly. Trish sipped her orange juice nervously. Everyone felt uncomfortable. Salazar's eyes widened and he turned to look at Flitwick.  
"Is this what everyone thinks?" Salazar paused and turned back to Godric.

"This is all your bl…"

"Everyone thinks you hate muggles and banned them from your house." Said Flitwick trying to stop going bright red, but failing.

"That's because Baldrick was a muggle! I knew I should have been more specific! Cunning, ambitious, and must have nowhere in their distant past the only ape to climb down from a tree and immediately start hoarding turnips!"  
A hand could be seen raised amongst the Slytherin house. All of the teachers looked at the child. Then Salazar said in a voice of despair.

"Merlin's undergarments, a dead ringer! Name!"

"Sofdus Balder" replied the child.

"Of course it is" replied Salazar.

"So what's happened to Mildred?" asked Salazar looking round inquiringly.

"She was killed, when He Who Must Not Be Named, opened the chamber and

unleashed it on the school" said Flitwick quietly.

"Who? Who Can't Be Named?" asked Salazar looking round

"Don't be silly Salazar, they just said, he can't be named" said Helga, in an obvious voice. Salazar turned and glared at her but she just smiled back at him in an annoying way.

"Do we know him? Is he in the room?" asked Godric, looking along the staff table and feeling for a sword round his waist that wasn't there.

"No, he's Salazar's heir and he's the most evil wizard in existence, he can sense when someone says his name" said Dumbledore.

"By any chance is he bald, very pale with slits instead of a nose, red eyes and a long black cloak?" said Rowena very slowly.

"How did you know!" asked McGonagall quickly.

"We may have seen someone of that description at the arch. With looks like that it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together" she said her expression barely changing.

"and you still haven't answered my question, how did Mildred die?" demanded Salazar.

"Harry Potter, about seventeen years ago, killed it when it was trying to eat him" said McGonagall calmly.

"She! When She was trying to eat him!" said Salazar.

After the meal, Trish went for a walk down by the lake. It was a wet and windy afternoon, but Trish could feel the atmosphere growing ever more intense in school. The view was dreary, the water unsettled as the rain disturbed the surface. The icy cold rain was striking her face, when turning a corner, seeing the lake again she saw a small huddled figure, in a big black cloak and green stripped scarf. Pale hair flowed over it, held down by a matching hat. It was sitting on a rock, looking out over the lake, her arms hugging her knees

"Abelinda?" asked Trish, recognising one of her students. The girl turned her head, her eyes were red from crying, and her nose was running.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Trish, seating herself beside Belinda on the rock.

"Hello Professor." Trish fished in her pocket and extracted a clean handkerchief and handed it to her.

"Thank you" muttered Abelinda and started wiping her eyes and blowing his nose.

"Wanna talk about it?" asked Trish, looking at her.

"Not with a muggle!" spat Abelinda. Trish felt offended, but looking at Abelinda's face showed that she was deeply unhappy, and didn't need a lecture.

"Okay, but if you change your mind" Trish went to leave.

"I'm sorry miss, it's just that things are…" at this Abelinda started crying again. Trish sat down and, feeling awkward, waited for Abelinda to stop.

"M…my father came to see me. He said I wasn't doing well enough. He said I should concentrate on Defence against the Dark Arts and Potions and ignore everything else. I don't like Potions, my teacher just writes stuff on the board and criticises us when we get it wrong. And our Defence against the Dark Arts teacher keeps telling us to run from everything. How are we supposed to pass our O.W.L.S with that, it's certainly not on the syllabus. But my Father wouldn't listen, he and my Grandfather are determined for Scorpius and I to do well in the right subjects. They don't care what we're good at!"

"What do you like doing, subjectwise?" asked Trish.

"Doesn't matter"

"Yes it does, come on, what's your favourite subject?" she said nudging Abelinda.

"Not muggle studies!" snapped Abelinda,

"Fair enough" after a pause Abelinda continued.

"I enjoy Transfiguration, and Charms."

"They're perfectly respectable subjects, not like wishy-washy, pointless Muggle Studies!" said Trish seriously, then looked slyly to Abelinda. Abelinda looked at her, then laughed.

"Aren't you angry, don't you want me to work harder in Muggle Studies?"

"I think you work hard enough in Muggle Studies, and anyway, I know what it's like. Believe it or not, muggles have an equivalent subject, which really is pointless. It's called General Studies. Had no point what-so-ever. All about nuclear power and recycling. I think I spent every lesson playing noughts and crosses with Steph. Still passed it."

"So you don't think Muggle Studies is important?"

"That's not what I said. Muggle Studies is a very important. Your whole community sees the muggle community as stupid and irrelevant. I am trying to change that…somehow" she shot Abelinda a smile that said she didn't have a clue how.

"Is it hard being a muggle here Professor?" asked Abelinda, still sniffing slightly.

"Oh, it's not too bad" said Trish, obviously avoiding Abelinda's eyes. She turned to Abelinda, shaking herself lightly.

"I know Muggle Studies isn't your favourite subject, but do you want to come to the film night tonight?"

"I don't think…" said Abelinda, lowering her head slightly.

"It's 'Pirate's of the Caribbean'" Said Trish.

Elsewhere in the world there was a wizarding street, Diagon Alley. On that street there was a shop, number 93, and it was a joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. In it a very pale looking man with ginger hair was talking in a nervous voice to a dark woman, who was biting her thumb.

"Why didn't he come sooner, do you think he was mad with us? Do you think he hates us?"

"George, please calm down, your not helping, Freddie and Roxie are upset enough. They can tell, you know. Anyway, the family will be here soon"

On cue a loud rap could be heard on the door of the shop, where the closed sign could be seen. Angelina went and let the guests in, an old looking woman with ginger hair which was going blonde, and a bald ginger man, with quite a few wrinkles. Behind him came a young man with vibrant red hair followed closely by a woman with curly brown hair. Behind them a young woman with ginger hair and a man with dark brown, almost black hair, glasses and a red scar on his forehead entered. Behind these came two more ginger men and a couple of women.

"We thought it would be best not to bring the children" said the ginger woman, who Trish would have recognised as Ginny Potter from the station.

"Ours have been put to bed already" said Angelina as George stood staring at the door in an absent manner. They all stood silent for a while.

"Hows the department of misuse?" asked a ginger man with his hair tied in a ponytail to the balding man after a while. Same as usual, can't complain. Increasing workload, same resources, you know how the ministry is". The room slumped back into silence.

"Would anyone like a drink, tea?" asked Angelina after a moment,

"I'll help" said the curly hair woman and the youngest ginger woman. And the three left the shop via a back door. A few minutes after they were gone a small tap was heard on the door. Everyone looked at each other in an anxious way, then the eldest woman stepped forward and opened the door. Behind it a young man, little more than twenty with red hair and a very familiar look stood looking more scared than they did.

"Mum?"


	9. Chapter 8 The One with Meetings

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Eight

McGonagall had called a meeting in the staffroom. Trish had been surprised by how few staff meetings they had had. McGonagall stood at the front by the fireplace, looking calm and relaxed, whilst all the teachers fought to find seats in the somewhat small staffroom, Trish was still fighting her way through the halls towards the meeting, when she saw a familiar face.

"Hey! Hey! Vicky!!" somewhere across the hall a head looked up and immediately ducked back down again. Trish stopped for a second, then, shaking herself she carried on forcing her way through the crowd, until she reached the common room. When she entered it was to find McGonagall just calling for quiet. She spotted that the arm of a sofa was free, next to Professor Smith, who was sitting next to Professor Noble, and perched herself on it. McGonagall began

"As you know a huge number of changes have had to be made to Hogwarts in the last couple of years. The expansion in particular has meant that where before we had merely one teacher per department we know have three or four. Because of this we feel that a head of department should be separate from heads of house. All discussions have now taken place and the following decisions have been made. Horace Slughorn will continue as Head of Potions and Severus Snape will resume his position as Head of Slytherin House." A slight murmur went round the room, but the decision was not unexpected.

"Albus Dumbledore will be Head of Gryffindor House, filling the recent empty position, Nyphadora Tonks will take over as Head of transfiguration. Filius Flitwick will be continuing as Head of Charms, John Smith will be taking over as Head of Ravenclaw house." This time a more pronounced murmur could be heard, and a definite raspberry from Donna Noble, who may have been trying to suppress her feelings of surprise. Smith had gone a very pale colour and was opening and closing his mouth like a fish. But before he could get a word out.

"Pomona Sprout will continue as Head of Herbology, and lastly the position of Head of Hufflepuff house will be given to Patricia Glossop" For a moment there was complete silence. Trish said

"Excuse me" and then the room erupted, from Flitwicks cries of

"She's only been here a term" to Snape's outright

"She's a useless muggle!" Trish was outraged at the comment, but couldn't find an argument to counter it. She was the useless, hated, muggle teacher, disliked even in the most accepting house. They would hate her now.

"The positions are provisional, we will see how the new heads get on in their posts for a term and then reshuffle after that if necessary. On to other matters, the Yule Ball is approaching. We haven't had one for many years but in honour of the return of so many, staff, students and of course our illustrious founders," a faint murmur could be heard round the room at this point

"we thought it appropriate. A number of guests will be joining us, including the Minister for Magic, so it's best behaviour" she said looking directly as Snape who gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting on and he glared back at her from under his eyebrows.

"That's all" concluded McGonagall and swept off before Trish had even stood up.  
As Trish was going to leave the room, Professor Longbottom came up beside her and nervously said.

"I was wondering, Miss Glossop, if you had anyone in mind for the Yule Ball".

"I doubt anyone here would want to take me to a Ball" said Trish, still flustered from the unexpected announcement.

"Would you go with me" asked Professor Longbottom, quickly adding, "I completely understand if you don't want to, that's fine"

"No, that's lovely, thank you Professor Longbottom" said Trish, relieved that she wasn't going to be dateless for the Yule Ball. Trish noticed Snape talking to Alida Stevens, he looked serious and she looked completely cool. For a moment Trish could almost feel sorry for Snape. She guessed from Alida's face that he wouldn't have a date for the Yule Ball.

"Call me Neville, I'll talk to you about it later" said Neville, a smile spreading across his awkward face. Trish smiled back and hoped he wouldn't think she liked him more than she did.

As Trish was walking up to her class, she was joined by Professor Flitwick, who was discussing previous years Yule Balls, about a girl and boy, now married who'd fought at a Yule Ball. Suddenly he turned round and said,

"I don't suppose you have any idea who you'll be attending the Yule Ball with?"  
"Actually, yes, I'm going with Neville Longbottom" said Trish,  
"Ah, well, that's very nice." Said Flitwick, who then went quiet until he went into his classroom.

In an old gloomy house some way away was a dimly lit room. In this dimly lit room there were three men. They all wore black, two set apart; one of these had long white hair, a pinched nose, blue eyes and some wrinkles. In his hands he was fiddling slightly nervously with a cane with a silver snake head. The man standing next to him had shorter mostly grey hair. He was larger built than his partner, and slightly less alert. The last man, standing apart with his back to them was completely bald, with white skin and a long flowing black robe. They stood a moment, a thundering silence in the air. Then the bald man slowly turned. His eyes were bright red and his face was completely flat. There were only slits where his nose should have been.

"How?" he growled after a few more minutes of silence.

"Because Potter told you that Draco was the real master of the Elder wand, and that he'd won its allegiance when he took it from Draco and…and you didn't believe him, you tried to kill him using it and it backfired, and it destroyed you because Harry had destroyed your other Horcruxes."

Voldemort looked at Lucius Malfoy scornfully.

"I know that. I meant why am I back?" He said stepping closer to the man.

"Does it matter?" asked the man who looked suspiciously like Crabbe.

"Of course it matters, mud-brain. What do you think all those years were for? Do you think I risked everything, went into hiding for years, made enemies of very powerful wizards and split my own soul into pieces just for entertainment? No! All that time and effort was in the search for power, the power over everything, and everyone. Now think mud-brain, someone has found the power over life and death itself. And you're wondering if it matters?"  
The man with long blonde hair sneered at his partner.

"Don't look so pleased Malfoy. You and Crabbe will go and investigate the arch at the ministry. Make sure you don't get seen and report back to me immediately. Send Bellatrix in" With this he turned to show that the interview was over.

The two men looked at each other and walked quietly and quickly out of the room. A moment passed while the man stood contemplating the wall silently. He heard the door creak slightly and heard footsteps cautiously walk across the room from his left to right behind him. He turned slowly just as they stopped, to face a woman with wild black hair, wild grey eyes and a dress whose arms looked like they'd been sewn on as an after thought. Her wide eyes studied the man carefully and tentatively she said

"My lord?" the man's eyes were hard as diamond, his lips tight and his brows lowered.

"You may not be aware, Bellatrix, but you are responsible for my last downfall." The woman looked at the man with a glint of panic in her eye.

"Your failure against that blood traitor Weasley meant that I was distracted just when I needed most to be level headed. You will make retribution for your weakness."

"My lord!" said Bellatrix stepping forward.

"Be silent Bellatrix, you will earn my loyalty again by bringing to me the abomination that presides at Hogwarts." With this the man turned round.

"You wish me to bring Dumbledore to you, my lord?" asked the woman timidly.  
"No, he is far too powerful for you. I wish you to bring me the muggle teacher." he spat as if the word was a bad taste.

"And I want her alive. I want the enjoyment of destroying her myself" he said this almost as if he was enjoying the mental image it had conjured.

"I beg your pardon my lord" said Bellatrix pausing. Voldemort looked up at her his eyes annoyed. She considered for a moment then said.

"It's none of my business, my lord, but I was just curious why you chose her and not, Dumbledore, or Potter…it's none of my business..." Voldemort stepped forward, and the Bellatrix could feel her head thumping with fear. He started talking slowly, and coldly.

"Because she is a muggle, an abomination. Because she's a symbol of Hogwart's decline. Because she is the ministry's pet project. And because she reminds me of someone who disappointed me." He finished in the same icy tone in which he had started, and Bellatrix looked up to see him turn away again. She started breathing again.

"Bring me the muggle alive, and send Snape in as you leave" He said turning to look at her and folding his hands behind his back. When Snape entered he looked Voldemort straight in the eyes and asked.

"My lord?"

"Whether I am or not is yet to be confirmed. Wormtail said you had someone with you?"

"Alida Stevens. She's the administrative assistant at Hogwarts. She came to me to request an audience with you." Said Snape sharply.

"She is a mudblood is she not, she knows the risk she is taking?" said Voldemort looking slightly entertained. Snape nodded a reply.

"Send her in, if nothing else I'll have the entertainment of removing another mudblood from the world." Said Voldemort, taking out his wand and spinning it round in his hand.

Alida entered wearing a long black dress, whose arms were made completely of lace. Her hair was straight and bright blonde down to her back, and she looked apprehensive.

"Before you start, mudfilth, I'd like to tell you that you will only remain alive as long as you entertain me. So be quick" said Voldemort, looking at her, twiddling his wand on the point of his index finger.

"I'd like to become a death eater, my lord." Voldemort's eyes widened and he said slowly.

"If you think that will entertain me Dirtblood, you are gravely mistaken." He straightened his arms, and began to lift his wand.

Alida started talking quickly but calmly

"My lord, I have let it be known at Hogwarts that I am a muggle-born because it has served my purposes. But my mother was a witch and my father a wizard. My mother's family were all pure-bloods, the Musäus' who immigrated from Germany in 1972. Mechea and Adredrik Musäus. My father's mother's father was Marius Black. It is only my father's father who was muggle born. My Grandmother was very young and naïve when they married." Alida came to an abrupt stop, looking at Voldemort eagerly. He considered her for a moment.

"All that you have said will be checked. And I do not accept people into my trust easily. Are you serious about joining me?" He asked looking straight into her eyes.

"Yes, my lord" she said looking into his. He thought for a moment, regarding her narrowly. Then he turned with a flourish.

"You will be tested. You will return immediately to Hogwarts immediately and tonight you will Imperio the muggle to gain access to Dumbledore's office and ascertain how much information he has on the arch, and copy it. Snape will be present as witness. Report back to me the day after tomorrow with your results."

"Yes my lord" said Alida, nodding, and waiting a second. Voldemort turned quickly.

"And if you fail, you must understand that the consequences will be probably be a permanent termination of your services, half-blood. There is no room for weakness here. Only unquestioning loyalty" he said icily.

"Yes my lord," said Alida quietly.

"You may go"


	10. Chapter 9 The One with Unexpected Events

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Nine

An hour later, Alida was stood outside Trish's room. She looked round into the darkness and nodded to Snape who was standing innocently some distance off beside a suit of armour. She knew he wouldn't be of any assistance, he wasn't here to help, but Alida wanted to keep him on his toes. She would show Snape he couldn't sneak up on her so easily.

She cast the Imperius curse through the wall and stepped back staring intently at the wall. For a few moments nothing happened, then a creak and the door handle turned. Trish emerged from the room, wearing blue bunny pyjamas, her eyes completely blank. As she turned they didn't focus or jump onto different objects, just glided round, over Snape onto Alida, where they seemed more to be looking through her than at her. Alida proceeded to look at her intently and Trish walked forward past Alida and then right past Snape and on towards Dumbledore's office.

Snape wondered at first why they seemed to be heading in the wrong direction, and why Alida eventually stopped outside a normal looking door, instead of the statue he was expecting. It didn't take him long to remember that Dumbledore no longer had the head teacher's office. Personally he dreaded the day he would have to walk into that office and confront a portrait of Dumbledore and maybe worse, of himself.

Whilst he had been thinking this, Trish had entered the room, which had involved some fancy wand work from Alida to override a particularly difficult protection spell that Dumbledore had placed on his office. But now Trish was inside, and Alida in some kind of deep trance, her eyes staring intently at the door was controlling her. Inside Snape could hear a certain amount of rummaging about and he hoped that Dumbledore had got his message before now. Trish emerged a few minutes later carrying what appeared to be a small pile of papers. Trish's hands looked slightly bruised, and her pyjamas looked very dusty, but Alida waved her wand and muttered something and they disappeared. Then she guided Trish back upstairs until she was standing outside her room, where she took the papers and guided Trish back inside. As soon as this was done, she flew out of the door and off down the corridor to deliver the papers.

Snape took a second to make sure she was gone, before heading to Dumbledore's office.

Trish was walking along the corridor some days later, hugging a big, pink ring binder folder. She had been given many strange looks during the first few weeks for this strange piece of equipment. Somehow magic folk we're able to transport large numbers of scrolls without flattening them. Trish had yet to figure out how, and so was forcing her reluctant students to use lined A4 so she could store it in folders. A decision they didn't particularly like her for. She was currently heading towards the library. Having been unexpectedly promoted to Head of Hufflepuff, Trish felt that she better do some research into her house. Professor McGonagall had suggested "Hogwarts, A History", but even the name suggested to Trish a large, dusty volume with tiny writing and no pictures.

Trish entered the library, glanced at the desk where the librarian sat critically eyeing a group of students silently studying on some tables in front of her. She walked past the students and entered the maze of shelves, looking for the history section. Unfortunately there didn't appear to be any particular order to the sections in the library. Trish found herself reading the titles "Elementary Potions", a rather large volume, "A hundred uses for _Poisoned Dragon's Liver_", slightly slimmer, but an odd purplish red colour cover and Trish cringed to think what had dyed it. Another "Torchwood: Uses and Misuses", convinced Trish she was in the wrong area, and she was turning to leave when she heard a strange whistling sound and then two voices whispering behind the shelves opposite.

"It's not here, it's the next one up" said Professor Smith.

"Well don't look at me it's your…."Professor Noble stopped as she noticed Trish coming towards them.

"Can't you find any of the books either?" asked Trish in a whisper. Professor Smith had his hands driven deep into his pockets and Professor Noble had turned round defensively.

"They don't have it." Said Professor Smith, and when she looked at him unconvinced he added,

"The next edition of "Hogwarts, A History", out in a few days, I thought it was out already. They've got the last one" he said, pulling a volume of the shelf. A number of other books fell from the shelf as he did so, and they all ducked to start collecting the scattered volumes.

"I think that's what I'm looking for" said Trish quietly, but was instantly silenced when the Librarian appeared round the corner and hissed loudly at them to be quiet.

"We better go" mouthed Professor Smith, handing her the last two books he had, "Hogwarts, A History" and a tiny slim book. Professor Noble mouthed "bye" and they made a quick exit.

Trish glanced down to see what she was holding and her eyes alighted on the small volume. It stood out because, like her, it looked very modern. Its cover was a mixture of loud colours and cartoon style characters and it was very short. It was entitled "Ridiculous Myths About Magic" and Trish thought that this was the kind of book she'd like to read.

The next night was the night of the Yule ball and Trish was rather anxious. McGonagall had been dropping none to subtle hints for her to wear a traditional robe to the ball, but it was a mustardy yellow colour and rather itchy as well as being very ugly in style and Trish couldn't bear wearing it. She knew she was expected to wear house colours but had been unable to find anything that flattered her and had instead opted for a small pink dress with a rose in her hair and was just hoping she wasn't noticed much.

Neville arrived promptly at 7.45 dressed in some kind of long suit which is what Trish guessed they meant by a dress robe. He seemed nervous and kept looking round as if he expected someone else to appear and hijack Trish. Trish found it quite cute but knew it was more about Neville's fear of being dateless than about her looks. On the way down to the hall Neville was discussing the last ball he had attended, and kept referring to people Trish had never heard of. Trish fazed out until she noticed him looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry" said Trish hoping he wouldn't realise she hadn't heard anything.

"Did you ever have balls where you went to school?"

"Well, Southward Road High School wasn't exactly known for being high class, not like Hogwarts, but we did have a prom, which is a kind of ball, in year 11 and year 13."

"Year 11?" asked Neville

"Fifth year" said Trish remembering that even in year names, Hogwarts was about twenty years behind.

"What was it like?" asked Neville, intrigued with meeting someone his own age who hadn't attended Hogwarts, or any other wizarding school, of which there didn't seem to be many.

"Well we had it in the sports hall and we had lots of balloons, lights and music and a meal. My friends and I got a limousine to the hall. And lots of people got drunk, including some of the teachers and I was voted 'most likely to have kids by the age of 18'."

"Well, I hope this is a little more enjoyable for you" said Neville after a pause and Trish resisted the temptation to say that her prom had been perfectly enjoyable, because that would cast aspersions on what she considered enjoyable. Just as Neville finished speaking they reached the top of the stairs leading down towards the main entrance. Below her Trish could see that everyone was dressed very formally, a lot were wearing the traditional wizarding robes that McGonagall had encouraged her to wear, but most were also wearing what Trish would consider normal prom dresses and Trish breathed a sigh of relief which even Neville noticed, to see she wouldn't stick out as mush as she thought.

"There are a lot of people here" said Trish, trying to make conversation as they descended.

"Oh Yes, this isn't just a school ball this year. In honour of the founders many high ranking officals have been invited. Even the Minister of Magic, Sebastian Montague is here"

"Minister of Magic? I've never heard of that one"

"He's the equivalent of your Prime Minister, he leads the Wizarding government, the Ministry of Magic. He's made some spectacular reforms since he's been in power"

"I'm guessing you voted for him then."

"Voted?" said Neville, looking at her as they came to the last steps.

"You did, I mean, I'm sorry, are you saying you don't vote for your political representative?" asked Trish, looking at him wide-eyed.

"Well, we've never needed to"

"How can you live under such an unelected tyrant?" A slimy voice from behind her cut in.

"Who did you say your current Prime Minister was?" Trish clenched her fists and grated her teeth and glared at Snape as he walked past. When she turned to continue glaring at him her eyes lit on the decorated hall and Neville invited her to step in and see it.

They entered the hall which was decorated with about five Christmas trees. The long tables were gone somewhere, and there were round tables with flowers and name places on, and in the centre of the room was a large dancing area. A band with men with long hair but wearing the smart dress robes and a woman in a slightly formal looking dress, but short were fiddling around getting ready. Next to them a classical band was already waiting. Trish noticed that there weren't many students present and when she asked Neville he replied

"Only fourth years and above are invited, unless they are invited by someone in the fifth year or above to be their date."

"Oh yes, I see Abelinda, she's come with an older boy from Slytherin. It's one of her brother's friends, Crabbe isn't it"

"Spitting image of his father, as is Scorpius, pretty similar in character as well" said Neville, and Trish had images of a young boy scared by one of these bullies.

"It must feel a bit like history repeating itself sometime here" said Trish

"You have no idea"

Just then the more traditional looking band started playing and Neville asked Trish to dance. She didn't want to give him ideas, but turning Neville down on the first dance seemed too harsh, so Trish accepted. As they waltzed formally round the room, Trish just trying to not have her toes trodden on, she watched the people around her. Abelinda had been abandoned and was watching the dancers mournfully, her eyes falling on Albus Potter, who was dancing with a pretty girl from his year. Her partner was sitting round a table talking to Doyle in a conspiratorial manner whilst Scorpius listened whilst gazing into the air in front of him where Rose Weasley was dancing with a boy in Ravenclaw from the fifth year. As she past Snape she thought he was glaring at her, then realised it was only because she had got in his line of sight, and he was in fact glaring at McGonagall and Trelawney across the room who were discussing something seriously. Both were dressed in dress robes, and Trish wasn't too sure she could have told the difference from their normal robes.

It was at this point that Trish's eyes focused on the last person she had expected to see that night. McGonagall saw the man as well and ran up to greet him. He said something to McGonagall and with horror Trish saw McGonagall heading straight towards her. She gripped tighter on to Neville instinctively, and glared towards the man who was heading towards her. He was guiding a young, pregnant woman and looking at her, not turning to look at Trish until he was a couple of feet away.

"Patricia, this is the Minister for Magic, Sebastian Montague. Minister, this is Patricia Glossop, our new muggle….." McGonagall trailed off as she noticed the icy look on Trish's face and the shocked look on the Minister for Magic's.

"Have you two met before?" she asked, as the room began to quieten around her. Trish stared at the man, then her eyes turned to the woman, who was holding his hand awkwardly.

"If you weren't pregnant I'd slap you so hard you'd have a red mark on your face for a month" said Trish bitterly

"Patricia!" shouted McGonagall.

"What right do you have to say these things! You left me!!!" shouted Sebastian Montague.

"I knew, about you, Simon, I know the truth!" Trembling Trish ran from the room, out through the hall, and up to her room. There she rummaged through various draws until she found what she wanted then went back downstairs and out through the main doors, where Salazar was holding hands with Helga. They immediately jumped apart when Trish appeared, but she ignored them, heading straight for the lake.

In the hall the music was playing but everyone was standing around talking. McGonagall was trying to apologise to Sebastian Montague, but was stuttering over the part of her brain which kept questioning why Patricia had called him Simon. Before she had managed to get anything out, Sebastian Montague exploded.

"I want that woman fired! Right now! I don't care what you fire her for, I don't want to see her again!"

"I'm sure there is some rational explanation for her…"

"You're not listening to me, I want her gone! The ministry will find another more suitable replacement."

McGonagall's eye started twitching slightly as the implications of what he was saying sunk in.

"You have no jurisdiction here, Minister, to appoint teachers. If, if it is decided that Professor Glossop needs to be replaces, WE will decide on the replacement." Said McGonagall sternly.

"You are treading on dangerous ground, Headmistress. You do realise that if I wished I could have you removed." Said Sebastian at her angrily.

"Actually, I think you'll find that an attempt by the ministry to so obviously undermine the independence of this institution would be taken very negatively, especially in the press, and would be very damaging to your public image." Said Dumbledore stepping in with a slightly serious face. Sebastian Montague considered a moment then turned to the woman who was with him and said.

"We're leaving now, come one" and with that they stormed out. Dumbledore was smiling slightly at his success when he turned to face McGonagall and wished he hadn't said anything.

"If I need your help I will ask for it, instead of making me look like the deputy head!" with that McGonagall stormed out as well.

By the lake Trish was fiddling with a couple of pieces of metal that could at some point have been considered rings. Both were battered and dented and Trish was sitting on a rock, wiping tears from her face. After a moment she threw them into the lake. She was so absorbed that she didn't notice a woman with messy hair approach her until she felt the tip of the wand on her cheek and heard her voice saying

"This is about to become the worst day of your life…"

"It already is!" said Trish before she'd thought, and she grabbed the wand and snapped it over her knee. Sparks flew and there was a loud snapping sound. The woman was so shocked that she stood still for a second and Trish in her state lunged for her, grabbing at her clothes with hands, kicking with her heels. The woman was screaming wildly then suddenly everything went black for Trish. Lucius Malfoy was standing behind her, his signature cane raised. But no wand was drawn.

"Maybe muggle skills can come in useful" he said grinning.


	11. Chapter 10 The One With Revelations

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Ten

Lucius Malfoy stood over Trish's limp body for a second.

"Well, that was easy"

"What are you doing here, this was my mission, to prove my loyalty to the Dark Lord" said Bellatrix, grinding her teeth and clenching her fists.

"I was sent along just in case it proved too difficult for you, which, considering the state of your wand, seems to be the case" said Lucius looking down at snapped wand dangling from Trish's hand. As he did he noticed that Trish was staring back up at him. Her eyes were wide in a look of bewilderment.

"Your…your…" stuttered Trish

"No, I'm Lucius Malfoy," said Lucius, raising his wand

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were someone else" said Trish, and Lucius stunned her, pulled up his hood over his head and turned to Bellatrix.

"I'll return to the Dark Lord, and say that you will be following with the muggle. But I can't promise not to tell him that it wasn't you who did most of the work" and with that Lucius turned and disappeared across the lawn. Grumbling, Bellatrix pulled up her cloak and leant down. Without her wand there was only one way she was going to get the muggle back to the Dark Lord, and that was on foot. She pulled Trish until she was sitting up then tried to pick her up at the waist. It was more effort than she thought but she managed to get her onto her shoulders. Heading directly away from the school she was just about to enter the forest when a spell burst against a tree next to her. Looking behind her she could see a man in black and green and a woman in a long yellow dress running towards her. The woman tripped and went flying forwards hands first, then face straight onto the damp grass. The man stopped, but the woman motioned him on with her hand. But Bellatrix had kept moving and was by now into the forest. She ducked behind a large tree and waited. After a few moments she heard footsteps. Then she heard someone stop, start breathing heavily and then step forward slowly.

Salazar Slytherin knew that this forest was a bad place to be. He knew that wandering around in it could be terminal, and if he couldn't see Trish or her kidnapper the best way to save her was to head back. But something made him stay a little longer, stepping forward he placed his hand against a tree trunk, then quickly peered round it. One tree in front of him Bellatrix was holding her breath. He stamped his foot, and cursing, started running out of the forest. Once the sound of his running had died away, Bellatrix stepped away from the tree and carried on heading into the forest. She kept looking around until in the distance she spotted a faint glow. Turning to her right she headed towards it. Finally she reached it and placed her hand on what appeared to be a faintly glowing skull, and immediately all three, Bellatrix, Patricia, and the skull disappeared.

Back inside Hogwarts, the band, 'Jingo', was just starting to play something Trish may have considered more modern. Although their instruments did include bagpipes, they did have what Trish would have considered an electric guitar, a drum set and something resembling a keyboard. But no one really seemed in the mood to dance. Dumbledore was going round encouraging people, but failing, and most of the teachers had congregated and were gossiping suspiciously in a group by the door. Neville was leaning against a wall anxiously awaiting McGonagall's arrival with Trish, or at least news of Trish. Everyone else seemed to be discussing the Minister of magic and conjecturing about what the short conversation could have meant. Flitwick was just suggesting that Professor Glossop may have knowledge of some corruption of the Ministers when McGonagall came in looking very strained. She seemed to be looking around the room when Neville stepped forward.

"How is she?"

"I don't know, she wasn't in her room, I was hoping she was down here"

"No,"

"Well I'm sure she'll be somewhere, I'll just go and check in the kitchens, I know she gets on well with the Elves."

As McGonagall turned to leave the hall again Salazar Slytherin came in followed quickly by Helga Hufflepuff yelling

"Profess… Glo… carried ... shadowy fig… hood… forest…followed…nothing"

Immediately a mumble started but McGonagall silenced it then turned to Salazar and said

"Breath for a moment, then say what you mean"

Helga Hufflepuff who had been breathing for a moment said.

"We went down to lake, to check that Professor Glossop was alright, and we saw her being carried away. We tried to disable it but missed and I fell over. Salazar followed it into the forest but lost it."

"By who?"

"Don't know, couldn't see, just a shadowy figure in the moonlight"

"So what you're saying is she was carried away by a moonlight shadow" said Professor Smith. Professor Noble looked at him, but not sarcastically. She realised that other than those two, the only person who would get the joke was the woman who had been carried away.

Professor McGonagall ignored Professor Smith and looking at Helga seriously, hands on hips was silent for a moment.

"Prefects, get all the students into their dormitories. Slughorn, Flitwick, Dumbledore, you with this half of the staff surround and secure the school. Snape, you go and locate Sebastian Montague and get somewhere safe. Everyone else, follow me, we will sweep the forest."

"I doubt she'll still be there" said Snape, arms folded.

"What do you want me to do, Snape? Nothing? Just sit here whilst the first muggle teacher in the history of Hogwarts gets tortured to death by the most evil wizard in existence? Snape, go and do something sensible and let us get on with it."

In the suspiciously gloomy house some way away the muggle was blindfolded, gagged and her hands and feet tied. A bald, white skinned, red eyed man in black was standing over her enjoying the moment. He twisted the tip of his wand on the tip of his left index finger and a twisted smile spread across his face. The woman with hair like a mesh and a dress whose arms looked like they were barely hanging on, stood still, silently flexing her hands in her nervousness, looking between the muggle and the man. Eventually her impatience overcame her fear and she mumbled.

"My Lord?"

"Yes, Bellatrix, you fulfilled your task," the man's expression didn't change. The woman breathed an almost audible gasp of relief, but it was short lived

"However, I am aware of the fact that without Lucius' help the whole endeavour would have been a complete disaster and so do not think that this has in any way improved my opinion, show Lucius in on your way out." The man continued to glare at the muggle as if horrid plans were going through his head and the woman, ashen faced, turned slowly and left.

A moment later Lucius Malfoy entered, leaning more on his cane than he cared anyone to notice and walked quickly over to the man. Turning his head slightly, but without taking his eyes off the muggle the white man said

"Take her blindfold off"

Bending down at the knees and hoping that the Dark Lord didn't notice the slight creak as he did so, Lucius lent forward and yanked the material from Trish's eyes. Blinking she looked up at Voldemort, her eyes scared, but defiantly she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"THIS is the Dark Lord" said Lucius looking up at the man. Trish was silent for a second then said

"Uahoh ooo ahoooho eh Ahhhooouuu" Although Lucius had expected not to understand her, as Trish was gagged, he was surprised by the sounds she made, as if despite her situation she was trying to say something rather than just scream or struggle. The Dark Lord, looking deep into her eyes gripped his wand tighter. In her head he could see images of a tall, dark man in black armour with a ring of gold. The muggle was comparing him to this and finding him wanting and it infuriated him.

"Take off her gag" he said in a suspiciously quiet voice. After spluttering for a while and shaking her head Trish looked at Lucius and said

"Thought you were Legolas to be honest. And he doesn't look anything like the Dark Lord, hasn't even got a mask, let alone the one ring"

In a flash the man's wand was out and he yelled "Crucio!"

Trish felt the most searing pain she'd ever felt in her life, like someone was prodding her with a thousand white hot pokers. Her head felt as if it was being crushed in a giant pair of nutcrackers and at the same time as if someone was pulling her fingernails and toe nails out. It continued for what seemed like an eternity then it stopped. Lucius Malfoy, now standing up, was looking at Voldemort in surprise.

"I fear that I have allowed the Mudblood to annoy me. So whilst I allow my emotions to return to normal, to enable me to torture it with some enjoyment, you will up-date me on the information you and Crabbe found at the ministry" with this the man marched from the room, gripping his wand firmly.

"And the Mudblood?"

"She won't be going anywhere!"

As their footsteps died away Trish starting thinking of ways of escape. She was shivering from head to foot, a cold sweat all over her, but the attack had been short lived enough to have had a minimal effect on her mind. She looked around for something sharp on which to try and scratch off the ropes that bound her hands. The room she was in was dark, with two large windows behind her, curtains open to the night. The moon, shining in, provided some light but it was hardly ideal.

On Trish's right was the door and next to that a huge fireplace surrounded by some moulding seats. The rest of the walls were covered in books. She was in a library, and there is rarely any use for a blade in a library. It was then that Trish began to properly panic, pulling at the ropes which bound her arms and legs in the vain hope that it would help. Suddenly those that were binding her hands became lose and she managed to pull her arms free. She turned around expecting them to have turned into a snake to eat her if she tried to escape, but the ropes lay there innocently. They seemed to have broken and Trish guessed that whoever had tied her had got lazy and used some old rope. She tried to undo the ropes which tied her feet but it took a few minutes. As soon as that was done she took off her heels, and quietly crept over to the window. One glance was enough to show her that she was in the middle of no-where. A vast moor, not many trees, not even any telegraph poles. Her lip quivered and she breathed in a huge sob.

"Ah, the poor little mudblood trash is afraid to die!" mocked a voice. Trish turned around but the room seemed empty. A disembodied laugh echoed from above the fire place and Trish slowly crossed over to it, avoiding a plank for no apparent reason. Above the fireplace was hung a huge painting. But Trish could not tell what it portrayed because it had be slashed in two great cuts which meant that a lot of it was hanging down over the rest of it. Just off of the side of what was left Trish could make out a woman's eye and nose and a slice of her lips which were blood red. Trish's near fatal curiosity made her carefully lift the foot stool and place it by the fireplace, climb onto it and lift the slashed piece of painting to reveal what lay behind. It was a couple. The woman, wearing a dark green dress, had short curly hair which was almost black, which was held by some power in beautiful waves. Her eyes were clear blue and her nose was slightly hooked and was currently wrinkled, as she looked at Trish.

"So this is the abomination in all it's glory" said the woman, with a hint of a Spanish accent. But the man was staring at Trish in a different way. He had straight dark hair cut quite short, with a long but not pointed nose, and he was wearing a black dress robe. His mouth, which had lips little more than two lines had dropped open and suddenly he said.

"Kitty?"

The woman, turned to look at her husband and then back at Trish. Her expression changed from disgust to shock.

"It can't, she's meant, I mean, Lucian, she, she's a disgrace, a muggle, she can't be"

"She is, look at her, can't you see it's her" Trish had been staring at the man ever since he had first spoken and scary thoughts had been racing around her brain, memories that she hadn't realised she had. This room, she knew it. Not very well, but she had known not to tread on a particular floor board. She also knew that the two voices she heard speaking now were familiar. She didn't like it, she didn't want to say it but before she could stop herself she had said

"Papa?" the man looked at her, tears welling in his eyes

"See! She knows me, she recognises me!" Trish's eyes turned to the woman, who was still regarding her with a look of shock and disgust.

"Mama? No, no, no" tears started flowing down her face, but a force within her prevented her from dropping the painting and running away. Tears rolled down her face and it was a while before she realised what the couple were saying again. The man was arguing with his wife. She was making disjointed comments about her being a muggle and a traitor when the man suddenly rounded on her.

"It was your idea to leave her with a muggle family in the first place. Now she needs our help. Can you stand by and watch out only daughter be destroyed by the man who killed us? We must help her!" The woman remained silent then they both turned to look at Trish, was still holding up the painting, make up streaked down her face and wearing a rather bedraggled prom dress. The man said.

"You're going to need to light the fire and hope they never disconnected us from the network. You see that stand over there, that cloak was your mothers. She took it off before she was killed, it still has her wand in it."

"She can't do magic, she's a muggle"

"She has to try." Trish returned carrying the wand, and holding it more like a hammer than a wand, asked.

"Now what?"

"Make sure you are concentrating, sit by the fire, say _Inflomora _and flick your wand"

It took Trish a couple of attempts but she was more surprised than anyone when she was able to light the fire. She went to search for the floo powder when the man stopped her.

"You need to cast another spell first, or they will know how you got away,"

So Trish did as she was told, saying "_Consummo!" _until eventually purple sparks spitting from the fire indicated that she had achieved something. Then she ran forward, tucking the wand into the belt of her dress and found the pot that sat on the fireplace containing the grey powder. She gathered a large handful into her hands and then closed her eyes and collected her thoughts. After a couple of seconds she threw the powder into the fire, turning it green, which indicated the fire was working, and yelled "Hogwartschoolofwitchcrftanwizdry" and jumped into the fire.

Unfortunately Trish's garbled directions meant that she didn't quite make it to Hogwarts. She appeared mid air above the lake and promptly proceeded to land in it in a spectacular fashion. As she looked up she could see the water closing over her, the moon reflecting strangely through the water. But then it wasn't just water enveloping her, but several large, suckered arms wrapped around her. She felt herself being dragged down, then quickly back up again. The next thing she knew she was flying through the air and landing heavily on the lawn. She lay on the lawn until her feelings of cold overcame her feelings of exhaustion, and she starting crawling up the grass. After a few a while she noticed a group of people walking towards the castle from the forest. Professor Lupin saw her first and shouted to McGonagall. Immediately the whole group started to run towards her. Gently Trish was lifted up by Lupin and a man with long dark hair and a moustache and carried up to the infirmary.


	12. Chapter 11 The One with a Dream

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. In fact all I own is my Original characters. Everything else is property of J. and Russell T Davies

Chapter Eleven

Trish was aware of a growing sensation of cold and numbness. A brisk wind was blowing past her. She opened her eyes and was immediately aware that things were not as they should be. Looking around she realised why, this was inside, but only technically. The roof of her room and three of the walls had been ripped away. The wall leading onto the teachers' corridor had completely collapsed and Trish could see all around her that the rest of the school was in a similar state. Bits of walls remained standing, furniture was battered, fabric torn. She stood up, she had been lying on the floor and as she looked she saw that her room was half disintegrated. Her things were all gone, there was only the cold stone, some broken fragments and a howling, freezing wind in a grey sky. She shouted out but she couldn't hear anyone. In this wind it would be difficult anyway. She picked herself up, and started climbing over the ruins of what had been her wall and wardrobe and after a bit managed to make her way onto what had been the corridor. She started walking towards the stairs when she trod on some stones which gave way beneath her. She fell a level and was struck on the arms and a leg by falling brickwork. Picking herself up she continued slowly limping on the way towards where the stairs should have been. Everything seemed broken and torn and up ahead the corridor had given out and a dull light was shining down onto the heap of rubble that was there. Dust was in the air, whipped up by the wind, and stung her eyes but she kept moving.

After what seemed like an eternity of climbing and stumbling Trish found herself in the entrance hall. The stairs had survived just enough for her to get down jumping and climbing. Turning into the great hall she was met by a scene of utter devastation. The ceiling was completely gone, now you really could see the sky. The whole of the right side and half of the back wall looked like they had been blown in by an explosion to reveal the lake, which was grey. On the bank there should have been a forest, but the trees that remained standing were browning and wilting. Most were gone, no colour was in the sky. The tapestries that had hung from the walls were ripped. The tables were over turned and covered in what appeared to be blast marks. Looking down on the floor she noticed, among scattered wands and scorch marks, a familiar green scarf, Abelinda's scarf, burned and dusty. A few feet away she found Dumbledore's half moon spectacles, one side missing their glass, the other smashed. Next to this was the device that Professor Smith was never seen with out. Sniffing she tried fiddling with it. Something snapped up and a ghostly image of Professor Smith appeared. His face was more serious than she had ever seen him and he was looking right at her.

"Run. Run as far away as you can. But they will come, they will find you. Like they found us"

Trish woke up in the hospital wing screaming. She was drenched from head to foot in sweat, shivering more from the emotional shock than from cold. Arms immediately came to restrain her and Madam Pomfrey's voice saying

"Shush shush, it's over now, it's over now" Unfortunately for Trish these words weren't as much comfort as they should have been and she had to look around several times to convince herself that the building around her was still in one piece. A couple of sniffling students were sitting up in beds. Madam Pomfrey and her nurse were the only ones around her.

"Do you want anything?" asked Madam Pomfrey soothingly. Trish shook her head and turned over to go back to sleep.

She slept fitfully until ten o'clock when she was woken by the arrival of McGonagall, Dumbledore and Alida. The former two were there to officially see that she was alright, although Trish could tell that really they wanted to start questioning her. But Madam Pomfrey had strictly warned them not to tire her out so they were restricted to asking her if she was comfortable and had to be satisfied with a nod. Alida was there with some clothes, and her own pillow to make her more comfortable. She asked her if there was anything else, but didn't push the issue when she simply got a shake of the head from Trish. Trish didn't doubt that any of them were concerned but no more than they would have been for anyone, including one of Hagrid's pets. Next came Neville, who showed more concern than Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Alida put together. He presented her with a large bunch of flowers and kept asking her if he could do anything.

After Neville had left Professor Smith and Professor Noble arrived, smuggling various things. Professor Smith pulled her phone and ipod from his inside pocket and promised to sneak in her laptop if he could manage it. He then quickly checked her with his strange stick device, which Trish watched in horror. He pronounced her distressed but otherwise physically fit. Professor Noble revealed a large box of seashell chocolates which she had cunningly hidden under her ridiculously long sleeves, and quickly slipped it under the blankets as Madam Pomfrey headed over. Trish felt a sudden urge to tell them about the dream she had had, she felt more of an affinity with them than with any of the other teachers, but the fear that they would pat her on the head and make condescending comments like "It's only to be expected", prevented her and before she had built up the courage they were asked to leave. Apparently Madam Pomfrey was concerned with the lack of rest Trish was getting with so many visitors.

Trish's last visitor arrived as she was dropping off to sleep. Snape arrived carrying a glass bottle of a greyish liquid which he didn't give to Madam Pomfrey but headed straight over to Trish. Trish realised with horror that he was going to administer it himself when he took out a spoon and uncorked the bottle. He carefully poured the liquid onto the spoon and then went to feed it to Trish. Trish turned her head, screwing up her nose. Snape said

"I'll stand here till you take it"

Trish sat there for a few seconds, refusing to look him in the eye. The when she realised he really wasn't going to move she said

"Fine, put it in a cup and I'll poison myself."

"I am not trying to poison you." Said Snape irritably.

"Of course your not, you're just a concerned colleague" said Trish sarcastically folding her arms. They were silent for a number of seconds then Snape gripped the spoon, closed his eyes and swallowed the potion with only a slight wrinkle of the nose.

"There! Are you convinced?"

He went to pour another spoon when she said.

"I'm not using that spoon! It's got your spit on it!" Snape looked at her for a moment, as if he couldn't believe she was serious, put the bottle down on the table over Trish's bed, went and changed the spoon, came back and poured a spoon and held it out to her so that she could take it. Bracing herself she held it in front of her for a number of seconds then took it in one gulp and regretted it. It tasted like newly poured tarmac on a boiling day, and Trish had to consciously suppress her gag reflex. Snape had taken the spoon and was pouring another. She looked at him with an expression which said,

"You dare!"

"You have to take three of these two times a day for a week" said Snape obviously relishing the torture he was inflicting on her by saying this. Trish finished the last mouthful and was draining a large glass of water when Snape glanced behind him to check that the children were asleep and Madam Pomfrey was in her office, then he sat down on the edge of Trish's bed and leaned in just close enough to Trish to make her uncomfortable. Trish resisted the urge to spit the water in his face.

"How did you come to be in the lake?" he asked looking at her sternly. She swallowed, lowered her eyes and said

"I escaped from the witch in the forest but I got lost and ended up falling into the lake." Trish wasn't sure why she was lying, but admitting to anyone, let alone Snape, what had really happened seemed too much to cope with.

"You're lying" said Snape, not moving.

"No I'm not" said Trish, immediately regretting the childish tone.

"I know you are lying. I know that you were taken by the witch to the Dark Lord's head quarters. I know that you were tortured for a short while with the crucio curse, which is what this potion is for. I also know you were left alone in a magically locked room for about half an hour and that when the Dark Lord returned you were not there, you were in the lake. How?" When Trish looked up Snape was still looking at her intently. A paranoid fear that he might be able to read her thoughts crossed her mind, and the fear of him and everyone else knowing everything suddenly overwhelmed her. She turned over, away from Snape, and curled up.

"Professor Glossop" said Snape harshly,

"Professor Snape! It is late, please leave" came Madam Pomfrey's voice from across the room.

"Madam Pomfrey, it is imperative that I find out what happened to the m…to Professor Glossop, for her own and the schools safety." Said Snape standing up

"It can wait until tomorrow, and from now on I will administer all of Professor Glossop's medication" said Madam Pomfrey looking at Snape, who opened his mouth to object then immediately closed it. Scowling, he swept off.

Trish stared angrily at the wall until she heard Madam Pomfrey going to bed. After about half an hour later, when she heard the lady snoring, she sat up, checked around her that the students were all asleep and checked herself out, with only her mobile and mp3 player. She decided first to head to her room and collect her things together. So she snuck along the corridor and down the great stairs and was just passing the staffroom when she heard voices within. Some she could recognise, but most of the rest were unfamiliar. They had all been talking amongst themselves when McGonagall's voice rose above the rest.

"We are here to discuss Patricia's problem."

"Don't you mean the Patricia problem" said a voice Trish didn't recognise, and a chuckle of voices could be heard through the door. McGonagall continued pretending not to notice.

"This incident has made it all too clear that Professor Glossop is a target of He Who Must Not Be Named. The situation made all the worse by the presence of a death eater within the school. Has anyone got any ideas about what should be done?"

"I think firstly we should ascertain exactly what the situation is, what exactly happened tonight" said Snape coldly.

"That's simple. She was in the woods, struggled, managed to escape from the witch or wizard whose wand was broken, because we found it, and accidentally fell into the lake." Said McGonagall.

"No" said Snape

There was the sound of a number of voices asking "what?" and protesting with phrases like "the only logical explanation". They soon silenced and Snape continued.

"She did not escape from Bellatrix Lestrange in the woods. Lestrange took the muggle to the Dark Lord who tortured her. She was left tied up in a locked room. I know this because I have spoken to the Dark Lord who is furious. How did she escape and cover three hundred miles in half an hour unassisted? It also means that she has lied to us and can't necessarily be trusted."

"Someone could have saved her and changed her memory to protect their own identity." Said the first voice Trish hadn't known.

"The Dark Lord is constantly moving. Only Malfoy and Lestrange knew where he would be. And none of them would have even considered freeing her. Besides, the muggle knew she was lying." Said Snape

"But there must be some witch or wizard involved otherwise she wouldn't have escaped." Said Neville

"There isn't any muggle technology that would allow such a movement." Said another unknown voice.

"Isn't there? There is rumour of a muggle organisation which investigates what it considers alien phenomena and has discovered such an ability. She could be an agent of theirs sent to infiltrate the magical world." Said the first unknown voice.

"Sirius!." Said McGonagall.

"She could work for the muggle secret service. I've heard that they can do amazing stunts like that, which we would think require magic" said Neville excitedly

"Longbottom, you have been watching too many of the muggle's spy films. MI5 is not an organisation of people called James Bond sipping vodka martinis and blowing everything up. Even 'Mr Bond' doesn't have the ability, with car or bike, to travel three hundred miles in half an hour." Snapped Snape

"You regret going along to that film night, don't you Sev." Said Tonks, and Trish could imagine the sly look on her face.

"Can we keep on topic, we need to decide on a course of action." Said Snape shiftily

"Well you seem to have decided that we should keep her here. Do you want to try and question her again Snivellus?" said the unknown voice which had been identified as someone called Sirius. Dumbledore's serene voice jumped in before Snape could snap back.

"We must remember that Professor Glossop has just been through a very traumatic experience. Her lies may be a natural reluctance to talk about it. Further actions like your own, Severus, could have very serious consequences. Any further questioning should wait for a while, and should be done with care and subtlety" said Dumbledore.

"We could get Snivellus to read her mind, then we'd just have to change her memory" said the voice known as Sirius. There was silence. Then McGonagall said.

"That…we can't…that's…"

"It would be the neatest and least painful solution for Professor Glossop. We would know the truth without her knowing we know, and then we could change her memory." Said Dumbledore matter of factly.

"But that still leaves her vulnerable. Whether she remembers it or not, she has greatly embarrassed the Dark Lord and he will stop at nothing until that humiliation is erased." Said Snape

"We could change her appearance" said Neville apprehensively.

"I don't think the muggle would appreciate such treatment" said Snape, but was quickly interrupted by another voice.

"You can't honestly be suggesting saving her by destroying everything that she is!" said the female voice that Trish recognised.

"It's like admitting that she can't be saved, either we destroy her nicely, or they destroy her painfully, you aren't even giving her a chance" said Tonks.

"She Can't be saved!! By inviting her here you sealed her fate. We should leave her safe and blissfully ignorant in some flat in london" Said the voice of Sirius

It was at this point that Trish flung the door open so that it slammed against the wall behind it. In the room there was a group of people seated around the room, except that as she stood there, face like thunder, McGonagall, Dumbledore and almost everyone else stood up and stepped forward. Tonks was looking accusingly around at everyone, and Snape had remained seated but was gripping the arms of the armchair he was seated on.

Trish wanted to scream and shout and call all of them a lot of very rude names, but she had so many things she wanted to say they were all cramming to get out at once and so none made it out. She just stood there breathing very heavily and McGonagall stepped forward. She put a patronising arm on Trish's shoulder and said

"Now Patricia dear…"

"Don't touch me!" snapped Trish and shrugged off McGonagall's hand.

"Trish, please, we would never…" said Tonks

"Would never have what?" questioned Trish

"We would have consulted you!" assured McGonagall.

"Consulted me? All of you, sitting here like greek god's deciding some poor mortal's fate!" yelled Trish in response

"It's the only way, you must see that!" said Dumbledore, looking at her seriously over his half moon spectacles. Trish's eye's narrowed and she retorted.

No, I don't see it, I don't see it at all, all I see is a lot of power-crazed, deluded gits who have no understanding of reality or morality!"

With that Trish stormed out, down the stairs and slammed her door closed.


	13. Chapter 12 The One with a Book

Twelve

Trish sat on her bed hugging her knees. Everything around her seemed against her. The fact that the room was newly hers didn't help the situation. The clock on the wall seemed to tut angrily at her, the mirror across the room showed a skulking black figure intent on killing her and even Captain Jack Sparrow on her poster seemed to be brandishing his sword to attack her. She heard a ghoulish cackle waft down the corridor and buried her head in her knees. Peeves was laughing at some trick he had either conceived or carried out, but he carried on past the corridor down to the kitchens and Trish breathed a sigh of relief.

After a few moments of sitting wondering if anyone was going to follow her she crept off of her bed, picked up her torch. She looked out of her round window. From it she could see right onto the grass outside so that if anyone walked past she could see their feet. Without anyone she could see down across the field a long way, to the forest. The moon light cast eerie shadows in the forest so she drew her heavy curtains.

She changed into some normal clothes for a quick getaway and pushed the rest of her unwashed clothes off of her stall, and found her children's book from the library underneath it. She wedged the stool into the corner of the room, behind the wardrobe and sat down. After a couple of seconds she gave up on the stall and pushed it in front of her and sat on the floor. Using her knees as support she carefully opened the book, and found that she wouldn't need the torch as the words and pictures on the page were glowing luminescent colours. "Ridiculous Myths About Magic, Contents, 1, The Origins of Broomsticks, 2, Why Wizards Wear Pointy Hats, 3, The Doctor Myth, 4, Dragons and Humans" Trish decided to turn to the third section, as it was the only one she hadn't heard of. As she turned the page bubbles came floating out of the page, flashing multi-coloured then popping as they touched the ceiling. "The Doctor" was written in big red letters across the top of the page. There were lots of lift-the-flap and pull-the-tab options, which resulted in funny noises including a whistling noise when you span a wheel.

"Many wizarding myths involve a character know as _Medicus, _Physician or Doctor. No-one knows what this character is meant to look like because many of the myths disagree. Some say he is old, some young, some brown haired, some black and some curly and ginger. Twelve distinct descriptions of the doctor have been discovered, but they do not follow each other, they do not start with the youngest and end with the oldest, indeed all descriptions seem to be spread out over time. Traditionally the doctor is supposed to be incredibly old which would support the images of an older man as the original doctor stories."

Here the book had a screen showing an "artists impression" of the twelve distinct looks of the "doctor". Trish started muttering to herself when she saw the tenth one.

"Professor Smith has obviously been reading this book. Hmmm, his wand was called sonitus intorqueo coegi, or noise twist driver. The Doctor does not travel alone but is often seen with an assistant, often female, often young and pretty. Well Smith and Noble are inseparable but I'd hardly call her young and pretty. The Doctor often appears when danger is imminent to all of mankind, only to disappear afterwards. It is rumoured he is from Galloway, Ireland, though no mention of him has ever been found there. It is also mentioned that he is not human, however only his incredible age and intelligence are given as evidence of this. Some of the nobler Ravenclaw houses claim heritage from this mythical person. Stories of the Doctor are now considered little more than interesting stories for young children."

After this there was a contents section showing the next few pages were stories about the Doctor. Trish got a few sentences into the first story, "The Doctor and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius" and got bored. She flicked forward onto "The Myth of the Black Cauldron" but quickly decided the Disney version was more entertaining, so she went to bed.

The next day was Saturday, and Trish woke up at 10.30 when she heard someone hammering on her door.

"Patricia! Patricia are you in there? It's time for your medicine!" came Madam Pomfrey's voice from the other side of the door. Trish grabbed her mobile, her big red coat and her trainers, and crept quietly over to the window where she put on her trainers and coat and climbed out.

She guessed that the least likely place people would look for her was over by the lake. Unfortunately she guessed wrong. She was sitting on a rock, talking on her phone, as someone approached.

"Why didn't you tell me?...Does it matter? You should I have told me!...I know that, but I should have heard it from you! Fine!! Fine!! Yes, yes!! Well I don't know some creepy, wizard dude wants me dead! Yeah." At this point Trish held the phone away from her ear as a voice could be heard screaming down the phone.

"Mum! Mum! Calm down! Please! Mum honestly! What! No my room is a state. What do you mean how are they supposed to know whether I've been kidnapped or not!! Ok, ok, I'll speak to you tomorrow, don't call me before ten, I won't be up. Ok, you too" said Trish quickly and hung up, only to turn round to see Abelinda Malfoy looking at her in an odd manner.

"Good morning Abelinda, how are you this morning" said Trish pulling herself together and struggling to smile.

"The other professors are looking for you" she said without emotion.

"Would you like to sit down?" asked Trish, brushing the snow off of the rock. Abelinda consented by going over and sitting on the rock.

"Are you ok Professor?"

"Yeah, it was just a bit…shocking…that's all"

"What didn't your mum tell you?" asked Abelinda, turning to look at Trish, as they both leaned forward slightly to keep out the cold.

Trish breathed out heavily, creating a small cloud of condensation for a second, which floated off then disappeared. She considered for a moment, then said

"I've just found out I'm adopted. I'm not really Patricia Glossop at all"

"So that's why you were fighting with your mum"

"Yeah." There was a pause as they both sat considering. Trish rubbed her hands and blew into them. Abelinda seemed to fidget.

"Professor, is it true that you escaped from the Dark Lord?" Trish laughed out loud, then added.

"Yes! Yes it's true, I escaped from the evil clutches of the Dark Lord" said Trish still with a smile on her face.

"How?" said Abelinda, skipping over the apparent lunacy of her teacher. Trish was just about to explain as much as she felt able when her eyes fell on the green scarf that Abelinda was wearing. Her expression darkened, and she sat up.

"Professor?" asked Abelinda watching Trish with confusion. Trish got up and stalked across the snow covered lawn back to the school, finding as she expected, Snape hanging around the entrance hall. She walked up to him, her face burning, and her finger pointing rudely right at him. For a moment she couldn't think of what to say to him, then she remembered.

"Next time you want to get information from me, do your own dirty work, don't send a student to do it for you! You want to know how I escaped? I got a lift from Superman!"

"Professor Glossop, oh there you are!" said Professor McGonagall coming into the hall.

"Patricia you really must stay within the walls at least for the moment. You'll have to spend Christmas here I'm afraid, but a number of the staff and order members will be here for you protection." Behind McGonagall Trish could see a number of unhappy faces which indicated they weren't staying behind by choice.

"This is going to be a hell of a Christmas!" thought Trish


	14. Chapter 13 The One with a Discovery

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Thirteen – The One with a Discovery

Trish sat at the lunch table eating her tomato soup very slowly, as she watched all of the children excitedly prepare to leave for the holidays. They would be leaving that afternoon and from then on she would be confined in the school with only the limited staff and order members, assigned as body guards, as company, and only marking and possibly facebook as a diversion. But hers wasn't the only miserable face, scattered among the joyful students were a couple of downcast faces. Amongst them was Milo, who was being consoled by Abelinda, who also seemed unhappy to be leaving. Her brother, Scorpius, further up the Slytherin table was loudly bragging about all the things he'd be doing this holiday, and the places he's be going

"Grandfather wants to take us all to Durmstrang, and I'm sure he'll convince Father eventually. Even if we don't go, Mother will want to go abroad, probably to visit our cousins, in Norway, near Hammerfest." A murmur of interest greeted this comment and Trish grew bored, then she heard Professor Smith and Professor Noble talking quietly beside her.

"So why can't we do anything yet?" asked Professor Noble

"Because it'll look suspicious, they'll be watching this place like a prison after the incident with Miss Glossop" said Professor Smith.

"So?" asked Professor Noble obviously.

"So we come back next week and locate the device and then we're done. Anyway, I thought that you were enjoying yourself." Said Professor Smith jokily.

"I was, but it's getting a bit …long." Said Professor Noble.

"I know, I'm sorry, but it could be important" said Professor Smith becoming more serious

"You mean it could be serious" said Professor Noble noticing the change in tone.

"It could be very serious" said Professor Smith. At this they both rose, Trish kept her head resolutely down and they walked out. Trish pondered it for a while but could think of nothing sensible, then marking called and she retired to the staffroom to listen to music and work.

She spent most of the next day in the staff room marking. The necessity of having someone with her all of the time was already beginning to annoy her. When the man named Sirius was sent to sit in the staffroom with her, she immediately logged onto her music player and started playing Britney Spears on loud speaker in an attempt to annoy him into leaving. However it only succeeded in annoying her more than him. He continued to read the book he had brought with him and sit in silence, with no apparent signs of annoyance. So Trish set it on random play and was embarrassed when she looked up to see Sirius smiling at her in an amused way. She realised that she had be dancing and singing along to "Pon de replay" without realising it, so, turning red she turned off her computer and continued marking in silence for a few moments.

"I never knew muggle music tastes were so … eccentric." Said Sirius.

"I didn't realise you were interested" said Trish defensively.

"I'm not, particularly" said Sirius in an off hand way, turning a page. Trish gritted her teeth, and decided that Sirius was an arrogant, prejudiced, ignorant idiot not worth the time talking to.

"What's your opinion on Magic music?" asked Sirius closing his book. There was no response. Trish continued marking.

"Professor Glossop?" said Sirius. Then he noticed the wires coming from Trish's ears and realised she wasn't listening. He reopened his book and continued reading, occasionally glancing at Trish, but this time she didn't dance along or sing. Occasionally she'd look at the Ipod and fiddle with it. After a couple of hours Hagrid replaced Sirius who walked out, turning to say goodbye to Trish and remembering her ear-phones simply said goodbye to Hagrid.

"Hello Miss Glossop! Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were listening to music."

"Oh don't worry, they aren't turned on, I've been working." Said Trish

That afternoon she went for a walk, being watched by McGonagall from a window. She bumped into Milo who was making a snowman on his own.

"Would you like some help with that?" she asked, rubbing her gloves. Milo considered for a second.

"Yes"

"Yes please?"

"Yes please Professor"

So Trish helped Milo finish of the snowman. Just as he was pulling a hat on the snowman, he got a mouthful of snow, as snow ball hit him squarely in the face. For a moment Trish thought that Milo was going to get upset, but within minutes the snowball fight was in full flow. The snowman got a snowball in the stomach and the window where Flitwick had replaced McGonagall in keeping vigil over Trish, got a beautiful splatter mark. About half an hour later they both came laughing into the main hall, with red faces and freezing fingers to sit at the single table where dinner was being served during the holidays.

"So, who won?" asked Hagrid looking at their coats and smiling.

"Milo has a better aim than I do!" said Trish taking her coat of and hanging it behind her chair.

"His coat suggests you didn't go down without a fight." Said the man called Sirius. He had long light brown curly hair, with a moustache and tiny goatie, a shirt and waist coat and a long pin-stripped coat and was sitting with his elbows on the table, his knife and fork hanging from his hands in front of him as he talked in a way which seemed designed to suggest arrogance.

"I never go down without a fight" said Trish quietly, who sat down and started eating her specially ordered Spaghetti Bolognaise quietly. The dinners were finishing their place and Trish was deep in thought when a row started between Sirius and Snape. Sirius pulled a wand out and Snape was quick to reply. Trish was the least worried by what she considered juvenile and idiotically macho behaviour and got up.

"Patricia where are you going?" asked McGonagall, who was already standing between the two men.

"Toilet!" yelled Trish without stopping. She was fed up with being followed around and any chance to get away from everyone was welcomed. She was washing her hands when her eyes alighted upon the two intertwined snakes above the tap. In a second the curiosity of the chamber below re-emerged and suddenly her holiday had a purpose. She returned to the now silent table smiling slightly. She pulled the chair out and it made an embarrassing scraping noise. She looked up and met the eyes of Snape who was glaring at her over a spoonful of soup. She smiled slightly embarrassed back and sat down quickly.

Later, after dinner Trish was helping Milo and a small group of other students with a Muggle studies Essay that they were struggling with, entitled

"_Muggle versus Magic music, the divergence of music tastes" _

The group was working away silently, and Trish was twisting the pencil she held round and round on it's point.

"Professor? Hello?" asked Milo, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Milo, I was miles away."

"What were you thinking of?"

"If I told you that I'd have to kill you" said Trish in her most convincing Russian accent, which wasn't particularly convincing. "I'm joking Milo!" she said, noticing his face.

"I'm considering a little investigative work this holiday that's all. What do you know about the chamber below the girl's toilets."

"The chamber of secrets?"

"yeah, the chamber of rubbish secrets."

"You want to get into the chamber of secrets? There isn't anything down there anymore"

"I don't know about that. I mean why would you have a big, wet, empty room, and not put anything decent in it. All that security for a snake? I don't think so, I think the Snake was the last "

"You've been in it? They took you down?"

"No, they didn't." When Milo showed that he wasn't going to believe she hadn't been down there, she continued.

"I may have stumbled across it" she muttered.

"But I thought that only wizards or witches who speak parceltongue can get in."

"Well, I don't know how I did it, but obviously it must be faulty or something, because I got in."

"Can I have a look? Can you take me?"

"Milo, it wouldn't be worth my job taking you down there"

"But it's not dangerous anymore, the Basilisk is dead."

"I wasn't worried about the Bassywhatsit. If I got caught taking a young male student down into an underground chamber late at night, alone, I would definitely get the sack and probably never work with kids again."

"Myrtle can come as well"

"I don't think that'll make much difference."

"Because she's a ghost."

"Because technically she is still a minor."

Trish was surprised that Milo didn't take the argument further, and if she'd been sensible she would have questioned it. As it was, her excitement about thoroughly investigating the chamber over-rode any suspicions and she went to bed late that night, sat up for a couple of hours reading some magical myths then, got ready, packing a small bag, changing into jeans and her black University of Swansea jumper and crept out of the room.

About twenty minutes later she was foraging for the key when she heard a faint, muffled thump behind her.

"Fouffefffor!" came Milo's voice from inside the tangle of weeds.

"Milo. Milo! It will let you go if you DON'T move!" yelled Trish. Milo's body ceased to move and for a second Trish was very worried about him, until, dropping from the plant he, he looked up to see her. Her arms were folded and she didn't look impressed.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"You said at night, so I guessed I'd just come down each night. I was waiting an hour." Said Milo.

"Well you can just go back up" said Trish,

"Am I bothered?" said Milo, with a smile on his face, the excitement over-riding his usual politeness.

"It's 'bovered', and yes I am" said Trish, not moving.

"Somebody's in trouble." Chanted Myrtle as she came floating through the ceiling.

"Myrtle, you bear witness to the fact that I told him to go back, I didn't want him to come along" said Trish starting to walk.

"Are you joining us Myrtle?" asked Trish

"Actually I might have had a look already." Said Myrtle

"And?" asked Trish

"I think there might be something." Said Myrtle apprehensively.

"You think?" said Trish suspiciously.

"Well it feels a bit different, but it's pitch black." Said Myrtle

"Ok, come on then Milo, Myrtle. I'm afraid I've only got one peg."

Trish had both of her hands on her hips, and was regarding the large face which made up the back wall. She and Milo had investigated the various pipes leading off either side further down but to no avail.

"Doesn't look a thing like him" said Trish, a peg firmly over her nose. Milo stood with a large piece of his school robe muffled over his mouth. Myrtle flew over head. Milo looked at her with contempt.

"I did tell you not to come. Anyway the entrance must be around here somewhere" Said Trish, looking around madly, at the ceiling and then down at the floor, stepping back a few steps. Milo's curiosity overcame his revulsion at the sight of the giant, half decomposed snake and he walked over, took his wand from inside his robe and prodded it.

"Urgh!! It's alive!" screamed Myrtle. Trish jumped in surprise, found herself on the edge of a pool of water, then a fraction of a second later, found herself in the pool of water.

"Thanks Myrtle!" said Trish standing up and walking to the edge of the pool. She then tried to hoist herself onto the edge of the pool backwards, and fell in again.

"You could use the steps, professor" said Milo trying to be helpful. Trish looked at him, glanced over her shoulder, then the other way to see an inconspicuous set of steps leading down into the pool. She paused, turned to Milo and asked.

"Milo, do you see Slytherin as the sort of man to be interested in personal fitness?"

"Why?" asked Milo, as Trish started wading slowly across the pool.

"Because he doesn't strike me as one. Gryffindor maybe, but not Salazar. So unless he's a fan of front-crawl in a very shallow swimming pool, those steps don't have much purpose." Trish got to the wall and began feeling along it. The others watched as she felt her way a long the side of Slytherin's beard, then suddenly she stopped.

"Bingo" she said and turned to reveal her hand, which had disappeared halfway into the wall.

"A purpose" she added grinning.


	15. Chapter 14 The One with Dinosaurs

I do not own the scenery, the items or most of the characters of these stories. Infact all I own is my Original character.

Chapter Fourteen – The One with the Fear Factor

Trish felt to find the wall again and where is appeared again on the other side.

"Professor, you're not going in there are you?" asked Milo.

"Of course, I didn't come this far just to say I'd found an entrance." Said Trish. "you coming?"

"I don't know" said Milo

"Who knows what horrid things could be hiding in there!" said Myrtle, floating down beside him, and shaking herself slightly despite not feeling anything.

"You've got two options Milo, you come with me, or you stay behind with the rotting snake and the wimpy ghost, it's your choice." Said Trish. She waited for a second then walked through the wall. Trish seemed to have entered some kind of tunnel, it was pitch black but she could feel the sides and hear the echo of her breathing off of the sides and ceiling near her. Walking through the water with trainers and jeans was quite difficult and the rest of her was cold from the wetting anyway. After a couple of seconds she heard a splash and then sploshes as Milo entered the water and entered the tunnel. She waited until he caught up with her.

"It's a bit dark" said Milo.

"It's ok, I though of that" said Trish pulling off her bag and opening it. Eventually she pulled something out and there as a click. A small orange light illuminated the tunnel for a second then quickly dimmed. There were a couple more clicks then Trish said.

"Oh b…bother."

"It's ok Professor, I'll do the light spell we learned last week, Lumnos!" nothing happened as Milo waved his wand in the air.

"Luminus!" he tried again.

"Milo, Milo, we'll try it again when we get to dry land" said Trish, slinging her soaking bag back on her back.

"Come on Milo!"

After a few moments they emerged into a larger room. The wall gave out on either side and as Trish stepped tentatively forward she felt a step in front of her

"Milo, watch out, there's a step coming up" she said, she could hear the water sploshing slightly as he followed.

"Professor, I don't think Myrtle followed us"

"That's ok, do you want to try that wand thingy again?" asked Trish.

"Lumus!" tried Milo, then

"Lumious?!" This was followed immediately, not by the flash of light that they were expecting but an eerie, almost text book squeak, as if someone was opening a very old door very slowly.

"Professor!"

"Sh!" hissed Trish. As Milo listened he also began to hear what she could. Inside the tunnel could be heard the slight sounds that are made when something is moving slowly through water. Then the sound came out of the tunnel and then there was the splash and drip as the thing that was in the tunnel came out of it, slowly heading towards them making no sound but the drip of wet clothing.

"Lumos!" yelled a voice and a beam of light lit up the frightened faces of Milo and Trish, who stood blinking at a dark silhouette.

"Muggle, it is bad enough that you insist on risking your own life, but will you refrain from dragging members of my house along with you?" Trish let out an audible sigh of relief, whilst Milo continued to look at Snape, wondering which was worse; being eaten by an unknown monster, or caught breaking school rules by Snape.

"Thanks for that!" said Trish in an extremely sarcastic manner.

"It's only what you deserve when you go creeping around Hogwarts at night" said Snape seriously, directing his angry gaze at Trish.

"Professor?" said Milo quietly.

"Oh, I see. Break curfew, get frightened to death!" said Trish, ignoring Milo in the argument.

"Professor?" repeated Milo.

"Did you not notice the dead basilisk?"

"It looked pretty dead to me!"

"Professor!" yelled Milo.

"What?" they both replied angrily. Milo didn't say anything but in the silence they could hear a faint clicking, a tap of something solid against the stone floor of the room. Snape stepped forward and shone his wand around. The light picked up the decayed furniture, chairs and stools. A portrait hung on the wall with a number of knives sticking into it, but no occupant could be seen. There was another creaking sound and Snape's wand flashed to wear a cabinet stood with a door swinging slightly. There was another set of clicking noises to the left of this, coming from behind a tall, dark green leather chair. Something which looked like a whip flicked out from one side of it then flicked back again. Snape kept his wand steady, and one hand held Milo and Trish behind him. A head appeared from behind the chair. A pair of yellow eyes under heavy scaly eyebrows appeared above the chair, followed by a mouth, simply a thin line in the scaly face which formed a wicked smile.

"It's a dinosaur." Said Milo, his voice audibly shaking.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's some kind of deformed juvenile Dragon." said Snape, but he didn't lower his arm, or look any less intently at the creature. Milo was clinging on to Trish's arm with an icy hand.

"Milo! Milo!" said Trish shaking him slightly, with her arm.

"Th…th…they always hunt in packs" he whispered, his eyes fixed forward, not even fixing on the first creature. Trish turned slowly to the left and there, a metre away stood another of the creatures, its hands hanging downwards but twitching slightly as it considered them. On each of its feet was a huge claw, which Trish guessed had caused the clicking. Trish looked right, and in the dark discerned movement, and the sense of something watching her. She spun herself and Milo round so their backs were against Snape's.

"What's going on!" said Snape in a hiss.

"Two more" said Trish steadily. She was looking straight at the one now to her right, which was closest, wasn't paying her any attention. Its eye was fixed on Milo as it sought to turn its head slightly to get a better angle, and stepped slightly to the side. Glancing at Milo, Trish noticed how he had turned a very white colour, he seemed to be breathing very heavily and he was shaking as he clung to her arm.

"Milo, Milo keep calm, we'll be ok, Milo say something!" said Trish, as the creature, still looking at Milo, took a step forward.

"I'm scared!" said Milo in barely more than a whisper. Suddenly there was a shout from behind them as Snape did something, then he spun round and did the same thing to the creatures threatening Trish and Milo.

"Boggarts" he spat

"Excuse me?" asked Trish.

"You know this is all your fault, muggle. You prowl round the school at night, you incite the students to follow your example and put their lives in danger, and you fill there minds with stupid muggle rubbish. That was a Boggart, a creature which takes the shape of your worst fear, and it took the shape of Milo's, which he took from your pathetic muggle stories of dinosaurs. If it had been anything else I would have recognised it immediately." Trish was fuming but she had to admit that she was partly responsible.

"I didn't think Jurassic Par..."

"You didn't think? Of course you didn't think. What would have happened if I hadn't been here. Milo and you would probably have been eaten" Milo, who had been standing like a rock shook himself a bit and said

"Sh…she told me nnnot to c..come. Sh..she tried to send me bbback but I w..wouldn't."

"She shouldn't have been down here in the first place. Come on lets go!" said Snape, but his voice had softened slightly.

"It's just a good thing it w…wasn't alien" said Trish as Snape looked at the way Milo was shivering. He held up his wand waved it once, then waved it again and said

"Impervius" and then did the same to himself.

"What's th…that?" asked Trish, rubbing her arms with her hands. After the adrenaline she had began to realise just how cold she was.

"It prevents us getting wet."

"But M…milo's alr…ready w…wet." Snape didn't answer but went to leave.

"Hey, w…what …bout me?" asked Trish

"What about you?" asked Snape, turning to look at her. After a moment he started walking, Milo following quickly after him. They had just entered the tunnel when, sulking Trish followed them. The cold was biting her fingers and toes more than she'd realised. Every touch of the icy walls jolted straight through her arms, but it was the only way to steady herself.

"Hurry up, Muggle!" yelled Snape's helpful voice from up ahead.

"Why did Salazar have to make such a long tunnel any!" muttered Trish, trying to speed up. Her foot hit a rock on the surface and as she put her foot forward she slipped and went head first into the water, like hitting a wall of ice.

Trish opened her eyes to find herself back in the chamber, lying on one of the sofas.

"Snape? Milo? This isn't funny!" said Trish sitting up and looking round. The fire by her had been light but it was the only light. She sat up and hugged her knees, looking around warily. Then suddenly she heard a scratching sound. She looked around wildly. The cupboard doors were closed. Then the sound came again. It was coming from above her. She looked up. The high vaulted stone ceiling was moving. Swirling slightly, and then in a patch in the middle a face appeared. Small sharp teeth and tiny black eyes looked at Trish with a smile which was far to interested in her. It started clearing more. Then more faces joined it. That must be the lake above and now these creatures were trying to grab at the edges of what Trish had presumed were blocks of stone. They turned out to be large sections of glass and the creatures the other side were trying to prize them up. At first they seemed to be failing, but then a thread of shining liquid appeared, followed by a drip drip as it started to fall.

"Snape! Milo! Somebody!" yelled Trish.

A large group of them suddenly started working together on the same gap and the drip quickly became a torrent pouring in. Minutes later the water started rising and Trish with it. The gap through which the water was flowing was getting larger and suddenly she saw something fall through it, followed by another. Trish screamed and suddenly felt the ceiling above her head. She put her hands up as if she could push the ceiling up. There was only about five inches of space left when she felt an icy hand grab at her throat and drag her under.


	16. Chapter 15 The One with the Great Escape

"Wake up!" a voice was shouting angrily right into Trish's face, and she opened her eyes in horror, only to realise that she was in complete darkness. She was being held upright by someone who had a strong but icy grip.

"You can stop looking at me like that" said Snape in an offended voice.

"How do you know how I'm looking at you? How do you know I'm looking at you? How do I? I might be looking at the wall!" babbled Trish trying not to think of the horrifying idea that Snape could read her thoughts. The images of the creatures had quickly been replaced by the horror of being man-handled by Snape, and she hoped that he hadn't seen either.

"I didn't need to see your face to know what you were thinking" said Snape. Trish closed her eyes in fear.

"You kicked me in the shin, punched me in the mouth and yelled "Get off me!". You're lucky I'm not taking it personally" he said in a voice which very much suggested he was. He began walking, supporting Trish as they walked. After a few moments Trish decided that she should try to explain.

"I had a dream thingy, when I went under the water. I...I dreamt I was in that room back there and the ceiling was glass and some creepy pond creatures, humany but green with claws, were pulling the glass apart and the room was filling up with water and one of them got in and it grabbed me and that's when I woke up."

"Do you regularly have such vivid dreams?" asked Snape sounding slightly interested.

"I don't usually remember my dreams at all. Although I had a dream a while back when I dreamt I was walking around Hogwarts and it was a ruin. I found Professor Smith's crazy device thingy and when I picked it up an image of him appeared and it said something like 'They're coming' or something" Trish expected Snape to say something like "How very melodramatic" or "What an overactive muggle imagination you have. Too many of those ridiculous muggle horror films" but instead he asked

"When was this?"

"Just after...just after I fell into the lake" muttered Trish, the image of the school destroyed vividly flashing before her inner eye.

"Tomorrow we will discuss this more, as well as exactly what happened when you 'fell into the lake'. For now we should simply concentrate on getting you and Milo back where you belong."

They continued on in silence. The darkness around Trish seemed to be continually folding in on her and the light at the end of the tunnel only slowly becoming closer. Suddenly Trish became aware of a faint rasping breathing.

"Muggle are you really so unfit as to not be able to walk this distance without being worn out."

No reply came from Trish but her hand took a vicelike grip on Snape's wrist.

"Muggle!"

"s'not me!" squeaked Trish

"Precccccioousssssss!" whispered a voice behind their heads. Snape turned slowly to see a pare of coldy glowing eyes regarding Trish with interest.

"Milo! Bring me my wand!"

The next morning Trish woke up feeling like she'd spent the night in a cold, damp stone chamber. Laying in bed she wondered what to do. All this mucking around with the chamber had merely been a distraction. So she got out of bed, got dressed and packed her marking bag and another bag. She went down to the staff room and deposited both bags, and then went straight to breakfast. She made short work of a bowl of cheerios then got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" asked Snape eying her suspiciously.

"To the staffroom. I have marking to do. Is that alright, or do I need a babysitter?"

"Snape, leave her" said McGonagall as he got up to follow. Snape sat down, glaring at the door, then resumed his meal. Trish walked quickly to the staffroom. She pulled her marking out of her bag and spread it across a couple of seats. She turned on her laptop and put on some music. Then she pulled her coat out of her bag and put it on. Throwing her bag over her shoulder she went over to the fireplace. She took a handful of floo powder from a pot, took a second to steady her nerves, threw it into the fire and jumped, yelling

"Diagon Alley"

A few minutes later McGonagall appeared in the staff room. She looked at Trish's mess, glanced at her watch, then sat down and opened a copy of 'the Daily Prophet'.

Trish arrived safely in Diagon Alley and made her way through to the Leaky Cauldron, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. At the Leaky Cauldron she was greeted by the land lady, a woman about her own age, who said.

"Hey, aren't you the Muggle Muggle studies teacher at Hogwarts?" All eyes turned on Trish

"Er..." She tried to resist the urge to run.

"You work with my husband. Neville! Neville! Come down here a second. He told me that they had you under lock and key for Christmas." Trish shook her head,

"No, no, just wanted to keep me behind, as a precaution. Leave at an unexpected time, catch them off guard" babbled Trish trying to think of a more convincing argument.

"Oh I see, clever. Bet you're glad to be getting home though, hey. Here, have a butter beer on the house. I'll just go and fetch Neville. I'm sure he'll want to wish you a Merry Christmas before you head off. Neville!" With that the woman disappeared through a door. Trish let go of the beer and quickly walked through the pub and out into Charing Cross. Immediately she felt safer. She found the nearest underground and was soon miles away, comfortable in the sardine like packing of the muggle-filled train. This was normal, this was safe.

Back in Hogwarts, Snape joined McGonagall in the Staffroom.

"Where is the muggle?" asked Snape accusatively

"Is she not back yet?" asked McGonagall, lying her paper down, unperturbed.

"How long has she been gone?" he continued.

"Must be about ten minutes. Snape, for pity sake stop being so suspicious. The poor woman can't go to the bathroom without you accusing her of something." Snape's eyes widened slightly and then he turned and flew from the room. A few moments later the door burst open again.

"For Merlin's sake Sn...Oh Professor Dumbledore. What's the matter?"

"I have just been speaking to Neville Longbottom. His wife swears she saw Professor Glossop in the Leaky Cauldron moments ago." McGonagall's face drained of colour.

"In the Leaky Cauldron...in London?... Why is Neville Longbottom reporting to you and not to me?"

"You are of course Neville's superior, but he is a member of the Order and I remain the head of the Order. He felt it wisest in this instance to report directly to me." One of McGonagall's eyelids quivered slightly. The door burst open.

"She has not gone to the bathroom, nor is she in her room. I knew I should have followed her. If you hadn't told me to sit down we would..."

"Professor Snape, please remember who is head teacher at this school" hissed McGonagall, turning on Snape with a look so murderous that he stepped back and unclenched his fists.

"Professor Glossop has been sighted at the Leaky Cauldron. I suggest that you go and speak to Milo Ballard or Ab..." began Dumbledore.

"No" interrupted McGonagall.

"I may not be the head of the Order, but I am headmistress and it is one of my staff who is at risk. You will go and talk to the children if you think it important, Professor Dumbledor. Meanwhile, Severus can locate the rest of the Order and I will find her staff record."

It was an hour later and Trish was stood outside her house. She was building up the courage to knock on the door when it was flung open and a figure in a dark hood stalked out. He walked past Trish without looking at her and flung the gate open moodily.

"Joseph Glossop you get back here this instant! I'm not finished with you. If you think you can waltz in at 4 in the morning off your head then you've got another thing coming."

"Oh Shut up woman!" yelled a voice from under the hood.

"Joe!" yelled Trish, her eyes wide.

"Oh don't you start. Jus' le me alone yeah!" said the boy shaking his head and running off. A woman with dark brown curly hair stood in the door way. She was wearing a big pink dressing gown and rabbit slippers and was just about to slam the door when she saw Trish.

"Oh Trish darling! You didn't tell me you were coming home! Come in, come in."

"Hi mum" said Trish, her voice full of foreboding.

"What is it, Trishy. You haven't got yourself into trouble have you Trishy. Cos if you have, your Dad's got connections and..."

"Mum!"

"What? I'd do anything to protect my daughter."

"But I'm not your daughter, am I" said Trish.

McGonagall was sorting through rolls in the schools new administrative office when Sirius stuck his head round the door.

"Knock Knock. Need any help"

"Only if you understand the filing system in this office. I've just found the staff records, but they don't seem to be in any kind of order. They aren't alphabetical by surname or first name. They aren't in order of when hired, by department. What other orders are there?"

"The order of someone who really doesn't want things to be found" said Sirius, peering cautiously round the door.

"What are you suggesting Sirius?"

"Just that we should be...tactful about what we say in front of Miss Stevens. Now where would we put information if we didn't want anyone to find it."

Milo sat in the library working on his muggle studies essay. He had seen Sirius Black and Professor McGonagall rush past about ten minutes ago and could still hear them pulling books off of shelves.

With all the commotion throughout the castle he expected a dreadful apparition to appear at any moment and start questioning him. Instead Dumbledore floated breezily into the library, smiled at him over his spectacles, sat down and asked in a whisper.

"I don't mean to worry you Milo, but Professor Glossop has gone missing and we were wondering if you knew anything that could help us locate her." Milo looked up at Dumbledore then down at his work, and began twiddling his quill

"Milo?"

"Well, last night she found her way into the chamber of secrets. Professor Snape had to save us from a load of Boggarts" blurted Milo.

"Yes, I had heard. Professor Snape has already checked the chamber. Was there anything else? We believe she was sighted in London."

"She comes from London, I think."

"She lives in London?"

"I think so.."

"Possibly her parents live in London?"

"I don't know. She went to school in London But she just found out she was adopted. That's what she told Abelinda."

"She has been speaking to Abelinda?"

"Snape sent Abelinda to talk to Professor Glossop. She told Abelinda that she'd found out she was adopted."  
"And when was that?"

"The day after the ball"

"Thank you, Milo, you have been most helpful" with this Dumbledore swept away and Milo returned to his essay. , realising Dumbledore's expectant gaze had been more effective than Snape's threats.

Trish sat at home in her room. It was violently pink and very fluffy. In a fluffy picture frame on her desk sat a photo of her surrounded by her family, her mum and dad, her younger brother and younger sister. She was staring at it, cross-legged, expressionless. Part of her was looking for similarities and differences between herself and those beside her. She was the only one with curly hair, with naturally curly hair. Her mother's was permed in the way that so many are, in a massive curly bubble around the head. She was slightly darker skinned than her mum and dad and brother, but a lot paler than her sister's sun bed induced mahogany. Her nose was a sharper shape than theirs, but she seemed to have the same smile as the rest of them. Maybe that was something you learned to do. She couldn't imagine that her natural parents smiled, at all. So she would not have learnt that from them. Her eyes were blue, her mothers were grey and her dads were deep brown. Her brothers were green and her sisters were light brown. No one matched in that respect. Another part of Trish fought an anger that Trish herself did not fully understand. She felt that she should hate her natural parents. They were clearly evil. They had hated muggles and they looked like they shared the same tailor as Snape. She got up and walked towards the window. But they were still, between then 100% of her DNA, and they had helped her escape. Her adopted parents were 100% of her upbringing, they had loved her and cared for her. Provided for her and protected her. They had helped her in school and later and university, pestering in that parental way. They had provided everything she had ever needed. She couldn't remember her natural parents at all.

As she looked down the street she saw a small boy in grey trousers and a red tshirt He climbed over a wall and picked up a football she hadn't noticed before. He started kicking it against the wall. She thought he looked familiar and smiled. He looked like William Smith who had lived across the road. He was six years older than her and had always kicked his football against the wall like that. The child must be William's son, visiting his grandmother. A flash and a couple of figures appeared in the middle of the road. Both were cloaked all in black with silver masks. The boy screamed, jumping over the wall, but the figures weren't interested in him. Arms emerged from under one of the cloaks, one holding a wand. The masked face looked around, finally looking across at Trish's house. They both started walking.


	17. Chapter 16 The One with too many parents

Chapter 16

Trish watched in horror as the couple walked up to her front door and disappeared within. She waited for a sound from downstairs. There was muffled shouting and a loud bang. For a moment she waited in silence, and then she realised that the bang was the front door slamming. Outside footsteps could be heard on the gravel path, and, as Trish watched, the two figures walked away. She leapt across the room, out of the door and bolted down the stairs. Her mother was in the kitchen, casually stirring a cup of tea. Trish looked at her for a moment in confusion then ran to the window in the front room. The two figures were again outside in the street. They seemed to be speaking, then one raised a wand and disappeared. The other paused for a moment, then turned to look straight into the window where Trish was standing. She gasped. It seemed to be looking straight at her, when there was a flash and another group appeared. They were also all dressed in black, with masks, except for one. Trish recognised the pale man with no nose. The lone figure turned to face him, and quickly drew a wand. Slowly the rest of the masked group followed suit. The dark lord carefully unfolded his hands to reveal a wand, his teeth barred. The lonely figure took a step back, but was hit by burst of green light. He/she collapsed onto the floor. Trish heard a scream. For a moment she couldn't work out where the noise was coming from.

"Trish, Trish what is it darling". Trish turned to see her mother holding her shoulders and looking at her anxiously.

"What's what?" asked Trish, semi consciously.

"You screamed darling" said her mother, still looking at her anxiously.

"I...There was a... and then they...in the street" stammered Trish, shaking.

"Honey, there's no one there" replied her mother soothingly. Trish turned only to see an empty street, no group, no body.

"They... they came in here, a minute ago. Two of them, all in black with masks on. I saw them. They came in the front door" said Trish, looking at her mum earnestly. Her mother's eye's saddened.

"I think we'd better have that talk now."

A short while later the Order was assembled in the staffroom.

"Professor McGonagall, why don't I try to follow her on foot?" said Sirius, leaning against the fireplace. Snape, sitting in a high back chair, replied before McGonagall could speak.

"Don't be ridiculous, Black, she's in London. She'll take that muggle underground. You'll have to get off at every station to check for a scent. She probably took more than one train, and on top of her scent will be the scent of thousands of other people. By the time you track her she'll be long dead. Probably of old age"  
"Well, what do you suggest, Snivellus?" spat Sirius childishly.

"I have tried to reach into her mind and sense where she is" said Snape, ignoring the bait

"And..."

"So far all I can ascertain is that wherever she is she is drinking a cup of tea. Previously she was talking to her mother which confirms Professor Dumbledore's information that she is at home. However, I can gain no more information which points to exactly where 'home' is. All I can see is images of a typical muggle semi-detached house. I can't seem to reach any deeper into her mind."

"Beaten by a muggle, Snape?" asked a woman with vibrant pink hair. Before Snape could retort the door creaked open and Miss Stevens walked in, her eyebrows knitted like an Aran jumper. She looked around at the group and then took a deep breath.

"I presume this meeting has something to do with why my office looks like a bomb has hit it?"

"Miss Stevens, I thought that you were on holiday" said McGonagall, attempting to look unflustered.

"I was, I popped back to collect some work I intended to do over the break. Why are my files all over the floor?" Miss Stevens hands gripped and tightened.

"We were having trouble locating a staff file" replied McGonagall.

"Whose?" replied Miss Stevens rather too quickly.

"Professor Glossop's" said McGonagall, aware of the group watching her every word.

"Considering Professor Glossop's current security arrangement I felt it expedient to store her file in a safe location."

"And that is?" demanded McGonagall.

"Safe" stated Miss Stevens evenly.

"But she is not" said Sirius getting up and walking menacingly towards Miss Stevens.

"She has gone home, but we don't know where home is. Now would you please quickly retrieve the file and tell us her home address."

"We never meant to deceive you, Trish. There never seemed to be a right time to tell you you weren't ours. I suppose if it had been an official adoption it might have been easier. We could have told you your birth name and that your poor mum had been forced to give you up cos she was too young or something. But we never had that choice. The truth is, love, when you first arrived at our door it was with two nutters and a threat. Take her, hide her and look after her. Give her whatever she wants, serve her like slaves, and when we return you will be rewarded with your lives. Your mother held her wand like a knife against my neck and made me promise to care for you. Like my own child I said. You were screaming and crying, clinging to your father's leg. She grabbed you and sat you by the window, then they both walked out of the door. That was it. You watched them, as if you were waiting for something to happen, as if you knew. One of them, your mum I think, disappeared. Literally, into thin air, into the blue. Not a whisp left. But the other stayed to wave goodbye. But then this other gang, all in masks appeared and they started shouting. One of them called him a traitor. Then they shot him. Not with a gun, with a wand, something like green lightening. It bowled him over and you would have screamed except your dad...your adopted dad, stuck his hand over your mouth. You bit him, as I recall, but by then the group had moved on. You screamed for days. You could barely speak at that point, I guessed you were about two. We should have taken you to social services really. But the promise I made kept ringing in my head so we kept you. Your dad, adopted dad, got some of his work mates, you know, the dodgy ones, to forge us a birth certificate. You arrived on St Patricks day, so we named you Patricia and put that as your birthday."

"I've been here before" said Snape anxiously looking around. He, Dumbledore and Sirius were walking along Trish's street.

"You've stalked the muggle home" said Sirius mockingly, his hands in his pockets.

"You saw it in her mind." Responded Dumbledore quickly.

"No, I've been here" stated Snape refusing to rise to Sirius' bate.

"Snivellus, this could be any street in any town, they all look the same" said Sirius turning to Snape. They stopped.

"It was this street" retorted Snape.

"When?" asked Dumbledore looking at Snape.

"Do you remember the Crowmartys?" asked Snape.

"Yes. They were killed shortly before the Potters" answered Dumbledore stopping.

"This is the street where Lucian Crowmarty was executed. I was here. Lilith had already disapparated, we found her later. At the Crow's Nest" explained Snape.

"What's your point?" asked Sirius, dropping the mocking in curiosity.

"Patricia Glossop lives on the same road where Lucian Crowmarty died. She escaped from the Crow's Nest. She managed to break into the chamber of secrets, for which you must know parseltongue, an ability for which Lilith was renound. There are too many coincidences" concluded Snape.

"I think you're being a bit too suspicious, Snape."

"Why were the Crowmartys here in the first place, it made no sense at the time but..." Snape was cut off before he could continue.

"Your point is well made Severus but until we know all of the facts, I suggest we try not to jump to any conclusions. For the moment we should concentrate on getting Professor Glossop back to Hogwarts."

They found Trish sitting on a bed, hugging a fat ginger cat which was grinning inanely and purring loudly. The room was mainly blue, with lots of pictures of dolphins and kittens in frames or on posters all around the room. Trish was watching something on a small television which sat on top of a chest of drawers. Dramatic music blared out of the television. Trish didn't look up, but hugged the cat slightly tighter and pretended that she hadn't noticed their arrival.

"Professor Glossop, we need to head back to Hogwarts now" said Dumbledore. Trish didn't move but continued to stare at the television.

"Patricia, we need to go, now" said Dumbledore slightly more firmly.

"Sshhh, Draco's about to die" said Trish.

"Draco ...Malfoy?"muttered Sirius.

"She's talking about the film she's watching" said Snape, with a look of if not despair, then disgust. As if to confirm this the TV blared out.

"... what now Draco?" and loud sort of bang and then

"To the stars, Bowen, to the stars" Emotional music heavy with violins and drums flooded the room. For a few minutes the wizards stood in awkward silence, watching Trish watching Draco join his constellation and the film end.

"You do realise, muggle that dragons aren't really like that Tthey are wild, dangerous animals prone to viewing humans as a snack"

"Does it matter? Before I went to Hogwarts, dragons didn't exist. It's just a story about friendship and sacrifice. Good triumphing over evil. Heroes and knights and old codes about valour. And there isn't complications like..." She pushed the cat away, who rolled off of the bed and slinked out of the door. Trish got up and walked over to the drawers, took a video out of the TV and placed it in its case. She then placed it on a pile of videos on top of the TV before opening the top drawer of the chest and taking out a white plastic box. It had three cats with different coloured dresses carrying different coloured balloons in garish colours on a lid of clear plastic. She opened one of the three plastic draws and pulled out, to everyone's surprise, a piece of parchment. She handed it to Snape, who eyed her cautiously, then took the parchment and carefully unfolded it.

"Dear Patricia Glossop, We are writing to you to inform you that you are being offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..."

"You're a witch" he stated bluntly.

"She's a what?" blurted Sirius.

"Well that goes some way to explaining..." began Snape.

"You're name isn't Patricia Glossop" said Dumbledore.

"No" said Trish. Snape and Sirius turned to stare first at Dumbledore and then at Trish.

"Do you know you're real name?" asked Dumbledore, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Cat, Cat, I don't know if it's short for something. I can't remember. I'm a Cromarty. My mum has some pieces of paper, one has my real name on it, but I don't want to read it."

"How did you know?" asked Sirius, turning to Dumbledore.

"Severus said he remembered this road. The mystery of the Crowmarty's appearance in this street has puzzled many for years. And Trish's amazing disappearance from their home suggested a link between the two. But we must tread carefully .Are you afraid of your real name?" asked Dumbledore. Trish paused. She looked up at Dumbledore, Sirius then Snape.

"Yes" she looked down. "Who am I if I'm not Trish Glossop?"

"You're you" stated Snape.

"Oh thanks for that blinding insight, Snivellus"

"Don't call him that" said Trish quietly.

"Severus' comments may be blunt, but he is making a serious point. Who you are is not defined by the name you are labelled with. And I have always felt that you have always been your own person."

"But I'm not Miss Glossop"

"Doesn't stop you being the muggle"

"Sni..."

"Muggle, this stunning revelation of your biological capacity to do magic does nothing to counter the fact that you are completely lacking in any ability."

"I got out of that place"

"With help from mum and dad."

"Still did it!"

"Yes Muggle, the wizarding equivalent of opening a door. Well done."

"If I may cut in here, Professor Snape, Miss Glossop, yes I know, but for your safety we must return you to Hogwarts as soon as possible."

"I'll just go and tell mum" said Trish and got up and walked downstairs. They paused at the top of the stairs.

"Do you think she's ok?" asked Sirius

"Her whole identity has just been unravelled, I doubt she'll be ok for a long while. But for now she seems stable. We'll return her to Hogwarts and..." Dumbledore's serene voice was cut off by the violent smash of porcelain on tiles. The wizards quickly descended the stairs, u-turned at the bottom and headed straight into the kitchen only to grind to a halt. The one person they were hoping not to see stood in the centre of the room, wand outstretched towards Trish, who was staring pointedly at the point of his wand.

"Well well an audience for the muggle's execution."


	18. Chapter 17 The One with Kung Fu Fighting

Chapter 17

Trish stood cross-eyed, staring at the point of the wand. For a moment the room was silent.

"I must admit I was rather surprised to hear about this little _tête_-à-_tête_ from someone else, Severus. It does however mean that your membership of the death eaters is terminated, as will you be as soon as I dispose of the muggle." Voldemort was grinning the grin only a stereotypical can grin and his eyes didn't leave Trish's face.

"You threatenin my sista, fool?"

Trish's eyebrows furrowed further, and she slowly looked past the wand, past the dark lord to where her brother stood, dressed in tracksuit bottoms just about clinging to his bum, a dirty hoodie and a baseball cap back to front. In his hand he held a gun at a right angle, which he was holding to the back of the dark lord's head.

"Your sister will pay for the humiliation I have suffered, as will you!" said Voldemort turning, wand raised.

"Or not" said Trish's brother, noticeably unimpressed, then he pulled the trigger.

For a moment the whole world seemed to explode. Everyone ducked and when the smoke cleared the first thing that Trish saw was her brother's face, a grim white mask of terror. Maybe it was the shock of having actually fired a gun that froze her brother, but Trish guessed the fact that the person he had shot was not dead and not present was probably causing some of the panic.

"Joseph Glossop! Where the hell did you get that gun!"

"I think the more pressing question is the location of the dark lord" said Snape turning towards the door, followed by McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Maybe for you, but not for me. I bet it was that Brodie kid! When I see his mother..."

"Mum!" said Joe. Then Trish's mum to the teachers.

"And if you think you're dragging my Trishy away without her Christmas pressies then you've got me to deal with. And as Joseph is going to learn, you don't cross me."

Back at the school a loud rasping sound echoed through the empty Ravenclaw common room. The Doctor and Donna strode out confidently and then paused.

"Ah" said the Doctor

"Do you actually know how to drive that thing?" asked Donna

"The Tardis is not some car you can programme..." returned the Doctor

"You don't programme a car" said Donna obviously.

"Whatever. Apparently it's December 24th, 9.04 pm. Well at least it's the same year" concluded the Doctor

"Don't you think it's going to look a bit suspicious us being here now? Aren't we supposed to be on holiday?" replied Donna.

"If we're here, there's a reason. The Tardis doesn't make mistakes" responded the Doctor.

"Except that time you landed it upside down!" said Donna.

"The Tardis was right, it was the planet that was upside down!" said the Doctor seriously.

"Whatever!" answered Donna. "What do we do now?"

"Search this room for something, anything. We keep looking till we find something. It's a good thing the students aren't here."

An hour later Trish was in her room at Hogwarts sitting on the floor, slowly unwrapping a present despite it being Christmas eve. It was a pair of pink leopard print socks. She didn't like them. Snape walked slowly into the room, carefully closing the door behind him.

"Professor McGonagall sent me to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine, just been nearly killed, put my family in grave danger and monumentally brassed off the most dangerous man on the planet, but other than that."

"Far be from me to point out the painfully obvious, Muggle, but it's all your own fault."

"Thanks. I was struggling to reach that conclusion sitting here in silence on my own" said Trish moodily.

"You forgot to mention putting the lives of those trying to protect you in immediate danger" added Snape for good messure.

"Why did McGonagall send you? Seriously, why you? Does she hate me that much?"

"She is trying to help you. It is only you who isn't trying to do that."

"Go boil some weeds whilst chanting a dead language, and leave me alone!" Snape's cheeks flushed red then white, and he unfolded his arms. His fists had clenched and his eyebrows narrowed.

"I apologise for showing undue concern. I will be sure not to make the same mistake in the future." Turning quickly Snape swept from the room, slamming the door behind him. For a moment Trish continued unwrapping the present. Then she took the pair of pink leopard print socks she had just unwrapped and flung them at the door.

Meanwhile, in a house far away the Dark Lord sat with a large piece of bandage tied to his head which was seeping blood and a large headache. A nervous Bellatrix stood by with a damp cloth which she occasionally moved as if she were going to dab his head, then decided against it. After the third time she asked.

"Shouldn't I get a healer for you, my Lord?"

"No, I'm fine!" yelled the Dark Lord against all evidence.

"Shall I summon Lucius, My Lord?"

"No! I don't want to speak to that doddering old fool!"

"Severus?"

"No! I don't want anyone to come here! I trust no one! Leave Bellatrix! Tomorrow I shall settle matters myself"

Christmas morning dawned green for the first time at Hogwarts in its history, noticed only by Professor McGonagall for a moment as she sat down to breakfast. She remarked on it, but got no reply. Milo and the other two children still present were poring over letters written by their parents. Sirius and Hagrid were in bed having covered the night shift. Dumbledore was in the library and Snape was in a foul mood, stirring his coffee as if he was turning a thumbscrew and staring with eyes like razors on the door. All attempts at conversation with him had been met with silence. Snape was far too busy carefully constructing savage put downs for Trish to waste time with comments on the weather. His eyes narrowed as he saw the door handle slowly move and he got ready to pounce. Even now the mental image of her bouncing in happy and smiley grated on him.

It came as a shock however when Trish walked in slowly, her eyes visibly swollen, and her face pale. She took her seat and turned to the children.

"Merry Christmas" she said, smiling, but Snape could see that it took a great effort.

"Merry Christmas miss" said the children quietly, sensing that something was wrong.

"Merry Christmas ..Minerva. Merry Christmas Severus. "

"Merry Christmas Patricia" replied McGonagall smiling. Snape found he couldn't remember any of his masterfully crafted put downs, so contented himself with ignoring her and picking up the Daily Prophet to cover his face. Ironically it merely replaced his snarl with a huge moving picture of a smiling Santa Claus face, which unbeknownst to him, caused some amusement. Trish turned to McGonagall.

"Minerva, I'm sorry about yesterday. I know it was reckless of me to run away like that when you have all been working so hard to look after me."

"That's okay m'dear. We'd all like to be with our families at Christmas, but that's not always possible" McGonagall. Trish turned to Snape.

"Severus I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I was upset and scared and I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. Please, I wouldn't like to lose a friend."

For a moment there was no reply from behind the paper.

"We are not friends, Muggle. Even the word acquaintance is verging on too familiar."

Snape kept the paper held up. He waited for the sound of sobs, a sound which in pupils at least he had learnt to perceive as weakness and to abhor. But it didn't come. Instead silence fell over the table, except the sound of Trish picking a piece of toast and beginning to butter it. Finally Milo broke the silence.

"Miss, we were all wondering, the students that is, if, considering its Christmas day, after breakfast can we watch a film please?"

"If that is o.k. with Professor McGonagall" answered Trish.

"Of course m'dear."

"Can we watch the matrix miss?" Asked Milo

"No that's boring , Chocolate" returned a girl in Ravenclaw.

"Chocolat? No sorry I leant it to someone" said Trish, putting down her toast and pouring herself a tea.

"Oh!" moaned the girl.  
"I know, I know, Llama face!" shouted Milo.

"A Llama? He's supposed to be dead!" said the Ravenclaw girl, and the students collapsed into giggles.

"I am pleased to see you all so ... enthusiastic about your Muggle Studies, but please try to contain yourself at the table" said McGonagall, frowning slightly.

"Yes Professor" they answered in unison.

The Doctor and Donna had spent a good few hours of the previous night getting more and more frustrated at not being able to find whatever they were searching for. Donna having headed to bed at around 3am, the Doctor woke her at 10 and they resumed their search. At 1pm they headed south.

"So it starts in the corner of the Ravenclaw common room and then it heads..."

"Yes Donna, into the hall" announced the Doctor throwing the doors open. He was greated by an unexpected sight; at least for him. Miss Glossop and the students and a babysitter (this time Hagrid) sitting watching a film on a large sheet strung across in front of the high windows. The Doctor didn't miss a beat, but immediately ran in and pulled up a chair.

"D...Professor Smith I thought we were busy!" said Donna, looking at the students.

"Yeah but it can wait. This is a classic! Dickens!" said the Doctor.

"It's The Muppet Christmas Carol!" said Donna.

"Shhh" said Trish, Milo, Hagrid and the two other students altogether.

"Doctor!" said Donna, exasperated.

"There goes Mr Humbug! There goes Mr Grim!" the song rang out.

"Here Donna, have some popcorn and calm down" said the Doctor, grabbing a bowl from a student and waving it in front of Donna.

When McGonagall and Dumbledore returned to the hall a few hours later they found Hagrid, Professor Smith, Miss Glossop and Miss Noble involved in one of the most competitive inter-house competitions they had ever seen. Mainly between Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

"Everybody was Kung Fu fighting!" sang out a rather loud xbox.

"Move you're in my way! That's my space!" shouted Donna, attempting to fist pump and sidestep at the same time.

"Donna, it's not my fault if you can't dance." Said the Doctor, intentionally edging further and further into her space.

"Excuse me! You saying I got two left feet? I'm not the al..." said Donna stopping and staring at him.

"Professor Smith! Miss Noble! I see you heard about our eventful Christmas." Said McGonagall stepping forward.

"Yes, yes, that's why we're here. The eventfulness" said the Doctor incredibly unconvincingly.

"Game over!" shouted the machine.

"Ah! You lose!" said Donna pointing and laughing.

"It's more difficult than it looks" said Hagrid from behind them, turning to join the conversation.

"Yes, but coming back to the eventfulness, do you want to go through exactly what has happened?" asked the Doctor.


	19. Chapter 18 The One with Crazy Voices

Chapter 18

The Doctor listened as Professor McGonagall explained all of Trish's capers sitting around the table in the great hall. Trish went bright red as her reckless behaviour was explained but the doctor just sat his feet up on the table, tapping his lips with his sonic screwdriver.

"and so now 'he who must not be named' is alive and out for revenge. He could appear at any time. Frankly we're surprised something hasn't happened already. I have recalled all staff and requested help from the Aurors, even the founders, seeing as they're here but so far only Professor Trelawney has arrived. She is unpacking" concluded McGonagall.

"That's it" said the Doctor, as if he were hoping for something more dramatic.

"Yes," said McGonagall.

"No" said Snape. The Doctor and all the other teachers turned to look at Snape.

"Before the muggle took it upon herself to run away, I found her poking around in the Chamber of secrets" said Snape meanly.

"How did she get down there?" asked Hagrid.

"Miss discovered a new chamber" said a voice from the side door. Milo stepped forward, followed by Sarah from Ravenclaw and the other student, a gryffindor.

"Is this true Severus?" asked McGonagall turning to Snape.

"It does indeed seem that the muggle discovered another formerly unknown chamber in the Chamber of secrets. It was heavily infested with boggarts and was very nearly fatal to both the muggle and Milo who was accompanying her. What is interesting is that whilst in that chamber she had a vision. In it she was attacked by the mer-people. And she spoke of other visions."

"One other vision" said Trish, interrupting. Suddenly Trish discovered that all eyes had turned on her.

"I...It was the day after I fell in the lake..."

"Which I presume was as a result of attempting to use the floo powder to escape from the Crows' Nest?" Interrupted Snape.

"Yes. Well I... I dreamt that everything was in ruins. That's it really."

"You mentioned that Professor Smith was in this vision." Stated Snape.

"Should I be worried?" asked the Doctor, raising an eyebrow and smiling slightly, but taking a little more interest.

"Please, Patricia, from the beginning" reassured McGonagall.

"I dreamt that I woke up in my room, and the roof was missing and some of the walls. So I went looking for people and I couldn't find anyone. The... the hall looked like someone had bombed it, and the tapestries were ripped and the trees were dead and the grass was dead. And I found your thingy Professor, that gadget you had."

"Really?"

"And I picked it up and there was a ... well I'd call it a hologram, of you and you were trying to warn me..."

"What did I say?" said the Doctor now really serious.

"You told me to run! But you said they'd find me!" said Trish. She was beginning to feel scared as the faces of all around her looked so serious. They weren't mocking or condescending. As annoying as that would have been, it would have been reassuring.

"Who?"

"Whoever killed everything"

"Now don't fret Patricia, I'm sure it's just a dream" said McGonagall, patting Trish's wrist in a way that Trish only half appreciated.

"No, it's not. It's something else and there are resonances of it. There is something coming, Miss Glossop. But I won't let them hurt you, Miss Glossop. I won't. And right here right now I'm telling you all to leave. Take these children, don't even pack, just go!"

"Don't be ridi..." Professor McGonagall was interrupted by the sound of the door opening at the far end of the hall. Professor Trelawney entered and started walking towards them.

"Ah Headmistress, I sense the end is drawing near" said Professor Trelawney dramatically, throwing her head back. The other teachers exchanged knowing looks. Snape rolled his eyes dramatically. Trish's eyebrows knotted in anxiety.

"Don't start Sybill" said McGonagall, her lips drawing tight.

Suddenly Trelawney stopped still, as if frozen.

"Ka Faraq Gatri!" her voice sounded as if something was stuck in her throat, and it was deep. Her eyes were blank and she stood straight as a rod.

"Sybill?" asked Dumbledore and McGonagall at the same time.

"A storm cometh! He whose name dare not be mentioned! Oh Lonely man! Your flower of love and death! You must stand up against them!"

Every Hogwarts teacher turned to look at Snape who stared at Sybill, and became very pale, well even paler. Trish looked at everyone else and followed their gaze. Donna simply looked confused, but the Doctor jumped up quickly and ran over to Professor Trelawney.

"Who should we fear? Professor, can you hear me? Who are they?"

"Them" she answered blankly, still staring into nothing.

"Them? Who?" demanded the Doctor.

"Those on the outside, looking in! At the door..." answered Trelawney evasively.

"Who? Who are they?" with this he shook Professor Trelawney by the shoulders.

"Oh Professor Smith. Please desist. Oh my head aches, my inner eye" and suddenly Trelawney was herself again.

"Who they are is obvious. Clearly the warning refers to the dark lord and his imminent attack. But why has it specifically pinpointed Severus?" Answered Dumbledore, slowly standing.

"What warning?" asked Professor Trelawney.

"Because it is my destiny, to set things right. I must destroy the Dark Lord, whatever it costs. I must stop hiding and confront him face to face." and he looked very serious.

"Oh Come on! You are not 'destined' to die to save the school. The message wasn't for you, Professor" said the Doctor dramatically turning from Trelawney to Snape.

"Who else could it be referring to?" asked Snape.

"Who? Me!" said the Doctor looking Snape right in the face.

"You're not a defence against the dark arts teacher are you?" stated McGonagall standing up and marching down to where the Doctor stood.

"No, I'm not" he said, unfazed, eyes wide open.

"Well, there go the OWLS!" exclaimed McGonagall.

"There are bigger things at stake here than your exam record." Stated the doctor angrily, his teeth gritted.

"What about the students' futures?" by now the entire group were on their feet and had run down to join the doctor by Trelawney in the middle of the hall.

"Exactly!." Answered the Doctor.

"What?" asked McGonagall.

"If you want them, if you want this whole planet to have a future then you have to listen to me. There is something wrong with this school. There is some emission of energy, like water flowing through a plug, and it's flowing all around this school"

"Professor Smith now you are becoming hysterical!"

"You think I'm joking, from the Ravenclaw tower, down to the Slytherin dungeons, stretching out to the boat house and up to the astronomy towere, there's a massive fracture in time and space and it's not closing properly, like it's been wedged open. And now something else has found the other side of it and is trying to get through. Believe me Voldemort could be the least of our problems if that rift collapses or something else gets through" said the Doctor, suddenly very serious.

"What complete and utter drivel" stated Snape, coming round to stand next to McGonagall.

"Yes, what could possibly be worse than me" said a voice from the door.


	20. Chapter 19 The One with Time and Space

Just a note to say I'm not doing what you think I'm doing, don't assume anything about the plot until you read to the end. Of the entire story. Honestly, I know what I'm doing.

Chapter 19

Everyone turned in horror to face Voldemort. It came as a shock to many of them that he had a large bandage wound round his head. One the left of his forehead a small splodge of blood was forming. Immediately all of the Hogwarts' staff drew their wands. The door behind Voldemort swung and Bellatrix Lestrange ran in, wand raised and out of breath.

"My Lord, I'm here!"

"Why are you here Bellatrix?" demanded Voldemort.

"My Lord?"

As they talked the main group stepped slowly back. As Trish stepped the world around her dissolved to reveal the hall in ruins again. Behind her the windows were smashed, and all the grass was burned. She looked down and in her hand was Professor Smith's device, a light on the end of it flashing sporadically. It didn't do anything. She looked around but everyone had disappeared as well.

"Professor Smith? Professor McGonagall? Donna? Snape? Anyone?" She heard footsteps and looked expectantly towards the door. However the steps were steady, slow and no voice was heard. She took a few steps back and was greeted by a sight that filled her with terror. It looked like it had once been human, but now it had wires and tubes and lights sticking out from arms and legs and worse, from ears and head. One of its eyes was completely gone, replaced by a red light which shone over her vertically, like a barcode reader in a shop. She screamed. Then she felt her arm being grabbed from behind.

She was back in the hall, and Snape had her by the arm. About three metres away Voldemort was advancing on her, wand raised. Snape dragged her backwards and flung her behind him. She found herself with Milo, Sarah and the other student behind a wall of teachers. She turned to peer over between Snape and Dumbledore's shoulders.

"Muggle, next time you choose to kill yourself I will let you. I am fed up of keeping you alive simply to save this school embarrassment! You'll need to find her another babysitter!" hissed Snape at McGonagall.

"Severus, now is really not the time!" said McGonagall.

"I'd say stop hiding her, but frankly I don't care, I'm just going to kill you all anywaaaaayyyyyoooooooo! " Voldemort clutched his head in pain but kept his wand raised. Bellatrix stepped forward.

"My Lord, please let me help you"

"No! Get off me!" he yelled, sweeping her away with his arm.

"Let ME help you. You're hurt, you've got a bullet wedged in your head." said the Doctor stepping forward, his hands hanging open by his side.

"Professor Smith, what do you think you're doing?" hissed McGonagall.

"Professor Smith, Voldemort is not someone who can be helped, believe me, I've tried" said Dumbledore sadly.

"Yes, but you stopped trying. Tom, listen to me, I can help!" said the Doctor, turning back to Voldemort.

"Don't call me that!" yelled Voldemort, clutching his head.

"Listen to me..." said the Doctor.

"Avada Kedav..."Shwhshwhshwhw. the doctor had in a millisecond managed to pull his sonic screwdriver from his inside pocket.

**BANG**!

The end of Voldemort's wand exploded like a firecracker.

"What did you do?" demanded Donna.

"I think I reversed the polarity of the neutron flow, but I don't really know, I just pointed and zapped" admitted the Doctor.

"What?" asked Donna.

"Avada Ke..." started Bellatrix.

Shshwhshswh **BANG** Bellatrix's wand exploded in the same way.

"You know those books wouldn't have been half as scary if we'd known all they needed to defeat 'im was a screwdriver" said Donna, crossing her arms and looking unimpressed.

"A sonic screwdriver Donna, the sonic makes all the difference" said the Doctor smiling. Donna continued. Voldemort scowled at Donna furiously..

"You ain't exactly that scary anymore mate. I mean what you gonna do, sneeze at me? Oh no, you can't!" said Donna, extremely sarcastically.

The Dark Lord dropped his wand dramatically and fanned his hand out. He glared straight at the Doctor and shouted.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

There was a booming sound, like someone was tearing the sky apart, like thunder happening right there in the hall. At the same time there was a flash like lightening which tore through the hall from floor to ceiling. The booming continued and as Trish looked she saw that something was still where the lightening had been. At first she thought it was her eyes, but everyone else was looking at it too. It looked like cracks in glass, or spiders webs. She couldn't really see it, but it interfered with the view behind, the same way that a rose stem looks like it's been cute when it enters water.

"What have you done?" asked Dumbledore quietly. The Doctor ran forward with the sonic screwdriver.

"It's the rift, it's fractured. Before it was a tiny drip, now it's a trickle, any larger and we'll have a flood. It wants to collapse, reseal but it can't, it's being held open, artificially."

"Avada..." began Voldemort , trying not to look at the rift.

"Don't you even dare. You say that again and the fluctuation in particles through the rift will prize it open enough for whatever is waiting on the other side to come through. Worse it could rip time and space apart. The whole planet could go down. Everyone will die. YOU will die. And that's what you fear most, of everything. So you need to listen to me and not say those words!" Voldemort was looking wide eyed at the Doctor, who was staring right at him with gritted teeth. The doctor stepped forward and said, very quietly.

"You're good at looking inside people's heads. Look inside mine and tell me I'm wrong. See all the things I've seen, and all of the things that could be waiting on the other side of that. It's not good is it?" Voldemort's eyes were as wide as they could go and he slowly shook his head, the way a child does when they're too scared to say no.

The Doctor turned and continued to consider the rift, taking a pair of blue and red glasses out of his coat pocket. Voldemort fell to his knees, looking up at the rift and opening and closing his mouth. Bellatrix ran over to him and was looking desperately between him and the rift and the Doctor.

"What have you done to him?" asked Bellatrix, too stunned by Voldemort's behaviour to fight.

"He's taking this very well...for him" said McGonagall to Dumbledore quietly, looking at the miserable figure of Voldemort.

"I presume the presence of a bullet in his brain is affecting his behaviour" said Dumbledore, curiously but unfazed.

The door behind them flung open to reveal Alida Stevens followed by Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. All three quickly ground to a halt.

"That's not good" Stated Hufflepuff.

"That's stating the obvious, Huff" said Salazar.

"I must report this!" said Alida, turning and running from the room.

"To whom?" asked Dumbledore.

"Well not me, clearly" said McGonagall.

"Nor the ... Dark Lord, for whom she has been working" said Snape with a sneer, looking at a cringing Voldemort, who was staring wild eyed at the rift.

"A triple agent?" said McGonagall.

"Probably working for the ministry" said Snape.  
"A spy of the new minister for magic no doubt" said Dumbledore and all three nodded their heads knowingly. The Doctor turned to see the two founders, he looked around them and then around the rest of the room.

"No no no no no no, we need the clever one!" he said, his hands flying to his head.

"Well you've got us. Ravenclaw refuses to set foot in the school since she saw the ghost of her daughter and no one's heard from Godric for weeks. I thought we were here to help fight no nose, but..." said Salazar.

"Yes, clearly there are bigger problems. What do you know about this?" demanded the Doctor.

"It presume it's the source" said Salazar calmly.

"The source..." repeated the Doctor.

"...of all magic." Said Hufflepuff.

"the source of all magic is a rift in time and space. But what's keeping it open, why hasn't it resealed..." asked the Doctor to himself, turning round.

"Ah" said Salazar.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" said the Doctor turning back to face the.

"Rowena was responsible for most of the technical stuff..." said Salazar.

"Oh Helpful!" shouted Donna.

"But she did say something about 'if something should happen..." There was a short pause as Salazar seemed to think.

"Right. You're going to need to remember what she said. Precisely. Right now it's the most important thing on this planet." Said the Doctor.

"Why can't witches have mobiles, you could just ring 'er!" yelled Donna.

"Oooo" said Hufflepuff, jumping up and down and flapping her arms.

"I have to place a golden snitch in the centre of the tallest, furthest ring on the quidditch pitch!"

"I thought that was Godric's" said Salazar.

"Oh yes, oh bother, what was mine" said Hufflepuff, folding her arms and chewing a finger.

"Mine was to hit the portrait of Godric Gryffindor right between the eyes with a dart" said Salazar slowly.

"No, that was just a personal goal, Sal. But it was something in your chamber" said Hufflepuff.

"We really need to speed things up a bit. Helga, can you remember Where yours was?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes it was in the kitchen!"

"And what about Rowena's?" asked the Doctor.

"Oh that was easy. One of the hands of her statue comes off and you just flick a switch" said Hufflepuff.

"Ok, Professor Snape, Mr Black you two get Godric's one, Salazar, Donna and I will head down to try and remember what his was, Professor McGonagall, you, Professor Dumbledore and the students can help Helga try and remember hers in the Kitchen, Miss Glossop, you can run upstairs and flick Rowena's switch, and the rest of you teachers can make sure these two don't kill anyone, everyone sorted?"

"Professor Smith this is still my school!" shouted Professor McGonagall.

"Right, okay, over to you then Headmistress." Said the Doctor, standing aside dramatically.

"Okay... Well you all heard Professor Smith!"

"Thank you!" yelled the Doctor.

And everybody ran.


	21. Chapter 20 The One with many switches

Chapter 20

Snape and Sirius Black were walking quidditch pitch. Snape carried the box containing the various quidditch balls and Sirius carried two brooms under one arm. He walked ahead.

"Come on Snivellus, the world can't wait for your arthritis."

"I suggest we get the snitch out now" said Snape stopping suddenly, satisfying himself with merely glaring at Sirius.

"If you say so Snivellus"

"Stop being so juvenile Black" said Snape, putting the box down and carefully opening it.

"Come on, hurry up that thing is going a funny colour" said Sirius slightly more seriously.

"Don't rush me!" hissed Snape, slowly bringing out the snitch in his clenched fist.

"Pass me my broom" said Snape, motioning with his left hand. Sirius threw it and Snape just about caught it.

"Take care! I nearly dropped the arghhh!" in a second the snitch was in the air and Snape was clutching his hand.

"You stupid idiot, now you've lost it!" yelled Sirius at Snape. Snape looked up, his teeth set and his nose curled up. He was gripping his right hand with his left and the right had two slashes right across it. Mentally Snape kicked himself for forgetting you couldn't simply take a snitch straight out of the box.

"Go and get it!" yelled Snape at Sirius. In a few minutes Sirius had the snitch and he flew straight up to the highest ring and held his hand out so that the snitch was in the centre of the ring. The wings of the snitch suddenly straightened and stopped moving. But the rift stayed as it was.

"Erm Snivellus, it's not having any effect" he yelled down. Snape picked up his broom with his left hand and flew up awkwardly. From about 10 metres away he could see dials shining in a circle about a metre out from the quidditch ring. They started on the bottom left at 0 running clockwise round to 100 next to 0. A red 32 was highlighted.

"Hold it there, now turn it. No the other way. Further" shouted Snape. As Sirius turned the snitch the rift shrank down and closed from the ring down to the school. But as Snape watched he could still see the rift stretching from the Ravenclaw tower

At this moment Trish was vaulting the Ravenclaw stairs. She had been slowed down by a toilet stop. At the top she was confronted with a door with no handle or keyhole only a knocker shaped like an eagle. She threw her hands up in an unvoiced question, and then wrapped the knocker. The eagle asked.

"You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. What am I?"

"That's disgusting" thought Trish trying not to speak her thoughts, which for her was very difficult. Then she kicked a wall. Her head kept filling with the image from the vision and it wasn't helping her mental processes. After a few minutes she got her phone out, only to find it dead.

"The one time you want google! Calm down Trish, calm down. Think! Slicing heads, monsters, argh no, vampires, Dracula, garlic, wolves, werewolves, ogres, Shrek! Ogres are like Onions!" she thought.

" Onions?" She asked the brass door knocker quietly.

"That is correct" answered the knocker.

"And there was me thinking it was going to be something deeply thought provoking" she muttered.  
"No, that lies beyond" said the door knocker as the door swung open.

The Ravenclaw common room would have been a beautiful peaceful place to study in shades of blue, with a ceiling painted like the stars. Would have been had it not been for the spatial rift, stretching up through the floor and ending at a point just under the hand of the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. Now fluctuating colours of mainly purple and black, it cut a tear like a jagged dagger across the room. Trish ran to the statue and started pulling at the right hand. She could just about make out a crack in the marble but it wouldn't budge. Trish was pulling as hard as she could when the rift rippled and bulged. She saw it and pulled all the harder until eventually the four fingers came flying off. Underneath was revealed a metal switch, small and slightly rusted. Trish immediately started tugging at it but it was stiff with rust and its small size didn't help. Most of Trish's effort seemed to be cutting her fingers. As she was pulling and swearing loudly at the lever, the bulg in the rift broke and a hand reached through and grabbed Trish round the neck. It wasn't a strangle hold, just tight enough. She felt a couple of stabling pains to her neck, and pulled harder at the switch, which suddenly gave. The rift sealed like a zip, from the hand of the statue to the floor, and presumably further. The hand holding Trish was severed from whatever it was attached to and fell to the ground, twitching slightly. Trish reached up to her neck where she could feel two marks. She waited for a few seconds, felt nothing, decided it wasn't too serious and ran towards the door.

In chamber Salazar Slytherin was bemoaning the state of his chamber.

"You really need to concentrate now" said the Doctor.

"Gor, look at the dust, and the woodworm" Salazar had lit some lights on the sides of the chamber.

"My billiard table is in tatters, the sofa's been eaten by moths and look, most of the drinks are evaporated or corked. Only the... ah yes, now I remember." Salazar Slytherin reached forward and pulled at a large full bottle of drink as if he was pulling it off of the side of the cabinet. It stopped a centimetre off the edge and the liquid inside proved to be less liquid than it looked.

"And I might even, oh yes, one last bottle of Ogden's New Fyre Whisky."

"I think first we should check on how the others are doing" said the Doctor.

In the kitchen Hufflepuff was pacing around.

"Now was it something to do with the jelly moulds, or maybe it was the knives. No, she wouldn't have put it anywhere dangerous. Maybe I have to light a fire..."

"I'm very sorry m'dear but we need to get moving."

"Okay okay, less haste more speed. Oh Oh I've got it. The fire poker has to go into this crack in the oven and then I pull it down and we're done" said Hufflepuff, doing it as she spoke.

"That's it?" asked McGonagall, eyebrow raised.

"I think so."

"But that was very...easy"

"Well Rowena said she didn't want to make it too difficult, seeing as it might be an emergency" said Hufflepuff.

"Which is why she spread them out all over the school and didn't think to pass on any information about them?" asked McGonagall.

"Yes...well...you'd have to ask her."

"And she was the sensible one" said McGonagall under her breath, rolling her eyes, as they all headed back up to the great hall.

Trish collapsed against the door frame at the bottom of the Ravenclaw tower breathing heavily. Suddenly her mind was filling with voices and images. And they weren't very encouraging. Initially blurring images of shadows began to form into people and places in her mind. Suddenly an agonising pain burned through the back of her hand and she looked down. It looked like a spider bursting out of her skin, but it was metal and immediately laid flat over her skin, digging in on every leg. As her heart started pounding she thought of the hand that lay upstairs, and of the creature she had seen in her vision. Both were pale, paler than Snape, slightly greenish even, and were covered in metal, metal like this thing on her hand. Trish thought a swear word very loudly, and opened the door slowly.

Downstairs everyone was congregating in the hall congratulating each other, except Snape and Sirius who were avoiding each other. Dumbledore stood with Hagrid and Snape over Bellatrix and Voldemort. McGonagall, sensibly, had a register out and was checking everyone was present. Trish eventually made her way to the hall doors. She could feel a piercing pain near her heart, and she had felt something break through just in front of her left ear. She pulled a large clump of hair in front of her face and pulled her sleeve down over her hand. She slipped quietly into the hall and looked around. People were talking and chatting. For a second the talking became a roar of thousands of voices. Trish grabbed her head.

"Ah Patricia dear there you are. Severus, Hagrid, Filius, has anyone seen Sybil?" Trish breathed a sigh of relief as McGonagall walked away, not paying her too much attention. Searching quickly she located Professor Smith. He was talking to Donna and smiling, then they both went to walk away. Trish slunk over to him and quickly grabbed Professor Smith by the arm.

"Professor Smith I need to talk to you" she said.

"Oh my God, what happened to you?" said Donna looking at her.

"Shh please! Professor, can we talk outside?" A couple of people had turned to look. Professor Smith took her by the shoulder and led her out into the entrance hall. Snape watched, his eyes narrowing. As soon as the door closed, Trish grabbed the Doctor by the coat.

"Doctor, help me" said Trish

"How do you..." said the Doctor.

"Doctor they got me" said Trish

"Who did?" asked the Doctor

"I don't know. It's in my head, under my skin, look!" Trish pulled back her sleeve to show her hand. She pulled back her hair to show the side of her face. The Doctor's face became pale.

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Trish

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and waved it over her hand, body and face, and then looked at it. His face paled.

"How bad is it?" asked Trish

"...You're going to be fine" said the Doctor coldly, looking around as if trying to remember something.

"Don't lie to me Doctor! You said they wouldn't get me, what is it?" said Trish with more than a hint of anger and fear in her voice.

"Your body is infested by some kind of robotic parasite. It's already inside your heart and lungs and is currently working its way into your nervous system. But your body is fighting back, and I'm going to get it out, I promise Miss Glossop. I promise. Come on"


	22. Chapter 21 The One With a Tragedy

Chapter 21

In the hall, the aurors had arrived and taken away Bellatrix and Voldemort. They hadn't had much difficulty, although after the closure of the rift Voldemort had been acting a little bit more assertively and they had had to wrestle a knife from Bellatrix. Most of the staff had decamped to the staff room. Snape was sitting in a tall backed chair, trying to reach inside the left hand pocket of his robe with his left hand to grab his wand. McGonagall was also there sitting on a comfy chair, holding a mug of tea and staring into space. Sirius walked in with his hands in his pockets.

"Was Trish ok? She looked a bit ill"

"Probably just a bit shaken. We've all had a few feathers ruffled today" said McGonagall calmly.

"Yes because she had the unenviable task of flicking a switch." snapped Snape holding his wand awkwardly as if to heal his hand. Then he seemed to remember something and put his wand down on the table.

"I'm just glad it's all over" said McGonagall before Sirius could say anything.

"And it is over. Next time that muggle's life is in mortal danger, Minerva, send someone who cares" said Snape finally.

Meanwhile, in the Astronomy tower, Trish sat obediently cross-legged about a metre away from the planetarium model in the centre of the room. She had heard what sounded like sawing noises coming from below her a moment ago, and now Donna was sitting at the top of the stairs watching her. She would glance under the stairs every couple of seconds.

"What's he doing?" asked Trish.

"He's parked the TARDIS under you" said Donna.

"Oh I see. So that the shield can create a dome over me" said Trish calmly.

"Yeah... How did you know that? Do you know what a TARDIS is?" asked Donna.

"Time and relative dimension in space. A time lord device. The Doctor can adapt the resolution of the shield to restrict movement of particles in and out of it. And he's adapted the shield to extend vertically to envelope me" said Trish in a slightly dreamy voice.

"Doctor!" yelled Donna.

"What?" said the Doctor vaulting the stairs.

"She knows about the TARDIS" said Donna in a worried voice. For a moment the Doctor didn't realise what she meant, then looked across at Trish in horror.

"Miss Glossop, before we came up here, you called me the Doctor. And now you know the name of my ship. How do you know that? Who told you?"

For a moment Trish remained calm, then her lip quivered.

"I don't know" she said a tear rolling down her face.

"Is it images? A vision again? Do you see things..." asked the Doctor.

"Voices, lots of voices. All saying the same thing."

"Saying what?" asked the Doctor.

"I...I...I don't know, don't ask me! I just want it to go away!" said Trish tears flooding now. She wiped her eye with the back on her hand and felt the lump of metal. She slowly lowered her hand to look at it. After a couple of seconds her free hand grabbed at the metal, trying to prize the metal out. She screamed out but didn't stop pulling.

"Don't, Miss Glossop, No!" Yelled the Doctor running forward and pulling her hand away. He inspected the damage. She had pulled one arm of the spider like shape up and her hand was bleeding badly. She screamed out again, clutching her head with her bleeding hand. The Doctor scanned her.

"The rate of infestation is increasing. Donna, go and tell Professor McGonagall to evacuate the school immediately" said the Doctor.

The staffroom was calm and quiet, as people sat reading or drinking tea. Sirius sat flicking a pack of cards between his hands. The fire crackled soothingly in the grate and all of the staff seemed content to sit in silence, no-one wishing to break the stillness. Suddenly outside there was a host of screams and the door burst open.

"Professor! Professor!" yelled Sarah at no one in particular.

"There's a severed hand in the Ravenclaw common room. And it's moooooviiiiiing!" She then proceeded to scream uncontrollably. The student's distressed triggered an immediate reaction in almost all of the staff. McGonagall immediately jumped to her feet.

"A severed hand, oh my..."

"It's ok Minerva, I'll go and deal with it" said Sirius jumping to his feet, and slipping the cards into his pocket.

"I shall come to calm the students" said Dumbledore, rising gracefully.

As they walked out of the door they crossed paths with Donna as she walked in.

"Professor McGonagall? Professor McGonagall, the doct... Professor Smith says to evacuate the school immediately."

"Why?" asked McGonagall getting up again.

"Something got through the rift thingy. Everyone is in danger..." answered Donna, still babbling.

"Did you just say 'the doctor'" asked Snape, his lip curling slightly. He stood up in a swift move, without using his hands as support, and turned theatrically to face her.

"You know about the Doctor?" asked Donna sceptically.

"Of course. Professor Noble can I just clarify, Professor Smith believes he is the Doctor?"

"He doesn't believe he is the Doctor, he IS the Doctor" said Donna. Snape's smirks were joined by the grins of other teachers.

"I suppose on weekends he believes he's Robin Hood or maybe 'Superman'. As knowledgeable as he was about our little mishap, he is obviously delusional, and clearly unfit to teach at Hogwarts. He is probably unfit to tie his own ridiculous shoe laces, or do you do that for him, Professor Noble?"

"It's a good thing he ain't here" said Donna, stepping forward and clenching her fists.

"Why? What would he do?" asked Snape, condescendingly.

"He'd stop me giving you a bloody good kick up the..." said Donna.

"Professor Noble! What exactly is this immediate threat to the school?" asked McGonagall standing up just as Donna stepped forward again.

"Come and see for yourself. The Doctor is in the astronomy tower with Miss Glossop." Turning Donna left the room.

"How did I know she'd be involved" muttered Snape.

"Well I suppose I should go and see what they're up to." said McGonagall. Snape turned to follow.

"I thought you said that I shouldn't bother asking you to help anymore" said McGonagall to Snape.

"It could be entertaining" said Snape.

As McGonagall and Snape mounted the first step of the tower, Donna reached the Doctor at the top. He was holding what looked like an ipad attached with a long line of messy cables to the TARDIS below.

"What's wrong?" asked the Doctor, hearing Donna's loud footsteps on the stairs below.

"They laughed at me." said Donna,

"What?" asked the Doctor.

"They said you were a magic robin hood so I threatened to kick Snape in the..."

"Donna!"

"Don't look at me like that! I told McGonagalls to come and see for herself. How's Trish doing?"

"Not good, it's been five minutes since she's said anything. It's a very virulent infection. I'm trying to re-programme the nanobots again, but they keep resetting and every time it becomes more difficult to re-programme them. The sonic screwdriver managed to remove the piece from her hand but after that it's like it learnt how to repel it and now the thing has grown back again. The last thing she said was. 'Oh God, it's you, run' since then there were a couple of screams and then nothing."

"We walked all this way to see the Muggle crying. I don't see that as a huge threat to the safety of the school. Only to her continued employment" said Snape emerging from the stairs.

"Is she alright, her skin's a funny colour" said McGonagall looking at Trish who was crouched down holding her head. Her hair covered her hands, but her arms were a slightly green colour. McGonagall stepped forward and walked into what appeared to be an invisible wall.

"I've adjusted the TARDIS's shields to a resolution which doesn't permit the flow of solid particles. It can only be lowered by this control panel."

"Why are you imprisoning her, Professor Smith, and what is the threat?" asked McGonagall.

"She is" said the Doctor.

"Don't be ridiculous Professor. She's just...Miss Glossop" said McGonagall.

"Not anymore she isn't" he said darkly.

"You sound like the door to the Ravenclaw tower, speak plainly. What is the risk?" demanded McGonagall.

"Doctor" said Trish in a calm, neutral voice.

"Miss Glossop?" asked the Doctor walking over to the shield. McGonagall and Snape turned to look at Trish. Slowly Trish uncurled, standing up from sitting cross-legged without using her hands as support. Half of her face was a mess of metal. Her left eye was completely surrounded by wires and nodules, one reaching into the corner of her eye. Another piece covered her right check, and wires emerged from her neck and re-entered her body just above her heart.

"Oh My God" said Donna in horror. McGonagall and Snape's faces matched her reaction. But the Doctor's face was sterner.

"That is the threat, Professor. Miss Glossop can you hear me?" asked the Doctor.

Trish didn't react, but walked forward and nearly into the shield. She stopped just short. She looked around at the invisible shield. Then she turned to face the Doctor again.

"Lower your shields" she said.

"Who am I talking to?" asked the Doctor.

"Lower your shields" she repeated.

"Why?" he returned.

"Resistance is futile, lower your shields" she answered.

"Who am I talking to?" he asked.

"Resistance is futile, lower your shields" she repeated. There was no sign of anger or annoyance. The doctor stood, feet apart and his hands in his pockets, staring straight at Trish.

"You are in breach of Article 392 of the Shadow Proclamation. Identify yourself"

"We do not recognise that authority"

"Neither do I, what in the name of Merlin's beard is the Shadow Proclamation?" asked McGonagall.

"The Shadow Proclamation is an intergalactic authority. It is recognised by thousands of planets, why don't you recognise it?"

"Did he just say thousands of planets?" asked McGonagall, turning to Snape.

"We are borg" said Trish

"What?" asked the Doctor.

" What is borg?" asked Snape.

"We are borg" replied Trish.

"All one of you" said the Doctor

"We are many" stated Trish.

"How many?" asked the Doctor.

"Millions. We are borg" stated Trish.

"No! You are the muggle!" said Snape, stepping forward. Clearly in shock, he had to stop himself walking into the shield. For a moment the creature that had been Trish coldly regarded him.

"That designation is defunct. My designation is one of three, secondary adjunct of Unimatric two zero."

"One of three? I thought you said there were millions of you" said the Doctor. The creature turned to the Doctor again.

"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile" replied Trish unemotionally.

"I'm the Doctor" said the Doctor dangerously.

"Your old designation is irrelevant. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own" replied Trish.

"Like Hell it will" blurted Donna

"The problem is that I liked Miss Glossop. I liked her a lot. She was a good person. And you took her away and you covered her in metal. And that has made me angry. And you don't want me angry" said the doctor, speaking through gritted teeth.

"Emotions are irrelevant. You will be assimilated" replied Trish.

"Who is two of three? Where are they?" asked the Doctor. Donna looked at Trish, then to the Doctor then back at Trish.

"Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own."

"Doctor" said Donna quietly.

"What do you want?" asked the Doctor.

"Doctor!" said Donna slightly louder, grabbing his arm.

"What Donna?" yelled the Doctor at Donna

"I know who two of three is" said Donna.

"Three isn't three robot people. It's three people who are going to be robot people."

"That was their plan all along. Her dreams. The rift, the arch. They've just been watching and waiting from billions of light years away, probably for years, maybe even centuries for me to come by" said the Doctor sadly.

"Why you? Because you're 'the Doctor'?" said Snape bitterly.

"The regenerating power of the time lords, the age, the knowledge of all those worlds. And a TARDIS, the perfect way to get to them. What a prize for a species which biological perfection? Think what they could do?"

"I assume that Professor Glossop's present state is connected to the dismembered hand Sirius and I have just examined in the Ravenclaw Common Room" said Dumbledore emerging from the stairs, followed by Sirius.

"Doesn't anyone here understand the meaning of the word EVACUATION? Professor Dumbledore, can you go and..." shouted the Doctor, only to be interrupted by McGonagall.

"I am still Headmistress here, Professor Smith or Doctor, whatever you want to be called."

"Fine then Headmistress, YOU go and evacuate YOUR school, before it gets 'assimilated'. And everyone else can go with you" said the Doctor, turning back to Trish, who was still considering the group coldly.

Quickly McGonagall, Sirius and Dumbledore headed down the stairs.

"Professor Snape, they could probably use your help" said Doctor, with a voice which said he'd rather not have him in the room.

"I'm staying" said Snape, his eyes not turning from the creature that had been Miss Glossop.

"Doctor she's looking down" said Donna.

"Oh dear" said Snape.

"We need to move the Tardis" said Donna.

"We can't. It's the only thing stopping her from turning everyone on this planet into robots." Said the Doctor.

"What can we do?"

A thudding sound interrupted them. The creature that had been Miss Glossop was crouched down. One leg was bent at the knee, the other extended outward. Her fist was on the floor, showing that she had just attempted to punch it. The floor remained intact.

"That wasn't very effective" commented Snape bitterly, looking at the blood on Miss Glossop's knuckles.

"The assimilation of this clone is not completed" said Trish unemotionally.

"How do we stop her?" asked Donna.

"We can't" said the Doctor.

"Yes you can" said a voice from the stairs. It was Alida Stevens, her face was serious.

"You can use your sonic device to deactivate the implants and nanodrones which infest her system" stated Alida.

"How do you know that?"

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?" demanded Donna.

"Because the technology had already rooted itself so deeply in her vital organs that if I shut the implants down, it will kill her" replied the Doctor. Donna went pale.

"You have no choice, time traveller. By protocol 294 of the shadow proclamation I order you to deactivate her" said Alida.

"I do not recognise that authority" replied the Doctor.

"But you said..." said Snape.

Another unsuccessful thud was heard behind them.

"Who are you?" asked Alida.

"No, who are you Miss Stevens, who knows about spatial rifts and nanobots and works as an administrative assistant in a wizarding school. Do you work for the proclamation? I order you by article 38 of the shadow proclamation to identify youself."

Alida stared at him for a second then lifted up her hand to touch her neck. Suddenly the pale woman with long blonde hair disappeared to be replaced by a woman with no hair, no nose and white skin. Her eyes were completely black, with no iris and the look would have been very Voldemort had it not been for the black plastic uniform which looked more like something from x-men.

"I am agent rh20sk."

"Well, agent, I'm the Doctor, and I don't like killing people so..."

"I'm sorry... Doctor. But it is her or them. You must choose"

"No, I promised her I..."

"Doctor I reported the threat to the Proclamation as soon as I detected it. There is a fleet ready to destroy this planet for the sake of the galaxy if you don't stop her in ten minutes."

"Elements of this drone's previous consciousness remain. If you destroy this drone, you will destroy her" warned the creature.

"I know. But if I don't, this whole planet, this whole galaxy..." said the Doctor looking at her, and then he raised his sonic screwdriver. Suddenly Miss Glossop's face became emotional and pained.

"Miss Glossop?" said the Doctor tragically.

"Muggle?" said Snape.

"I'm scared. Doctor you promised" cried Trish.

"I'm sorry Miss Glossop. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" cried the Doctor, his hand still raised, but a tear running down his cheek.

"Doctor please help me!" said Trish, her hand reaching out towards him.

"I... I can't. I should, but I can't!" said the Doctor.

"Doctor there must be something we can do" said Donna desperately.

"Tell me then Donna, what should I do? Tell me what to do!" said the Doctor, turning to her with eyes which could break a heart.

"I'm sorry I said we weren't friends... We are friends..." said Snape

"Doctor I'm scared" said Trish, not looking at Snape.

"Muggle did you hear me?" asked Snape, watching her carefully.

"Doctor!" screamed Trish.

"It's a trick. It's not really her" said Snape, standing up and stepping back. His eyes looked watery but he didn't cry and his voice was calm.

"How can you be sure?" asked the Doctor.

"Because she's focussing on you. She knew they were targeting you. They're just replaying her emotions to blackmail you into stalling." The creatures face resumed its unemotional appearance. Visibly more angry the Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver. A moment later Miss Glossop collapsed onto the floor, not moving. For a moment the Doctor, Donna, Alida and Snape stood looking at the creature that had been Miss Glossop.

"She's gone" said Donna.

"She died thinking I hated her" said Snape, the quietness in his voice betraying emotion.

"Maybe some of her heard you, deep down" said Donna consolingly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll go and tell McGonagall they can stop the evacuation" said Snape, turning round.

As seemed to happen a lot, Snape was sitting in the staffroom in a high backed chair. The paper lay folded on the table beside him and he stared absently into the fire which was slowly dying in the grate. Donna Noble walked into the room and looked across at him. After a few seconds he noticed her presence.

"I presume that Professor Smith has dealt with her body" said Snape.

"He had to cremate it...in a dwarf star... he said it was the only way to make sure the nano-things were gone. He did the hand too... Are you ok?" asked Donna, barely stopping herself from crying.

"Why wouldn't I be? We were barely talking..." said Snape, turning to pick up the paper.

"She was your friend...You said she was your friend." said Donna.

"I don't want to talk about it" said Snape, unfolding the paper. For a moment Donna said nothing.

"What did it feel like when..." Donna trailed off.

"When I what?" demanded Snape, but Donna had jumped up and ran from the room. Snape followed her as she nearly ran into the Doctor, who was running in the opposite direction.

"The Arch!" they both screamed.


	23. Chapter 22 The One with the Finale

Chapter 22

At the ministry the Doctor was scanning the arch again with the sonic screwdriver.

"Ahhh, I've got a control panel. Oh you beautiful piece of machinery. Oh..." the doctor's enthusiasm sagged.

"What is it?" asked Donna.

"It's like a timelord field hospital, a prototype at least. It picks what it sees as a casualty, transports them here, heals them then releases them healthy to carry on fighting. I think it was being made for the war"

"So is she in there? I mean there was a body..."

"Yes, but it's clever. It doesn't want the enemy to realise what's going on so it leaves a carbon copy of the body behind to throw them off the scent."

"So she's in there, what's the problem?"

"Well there are a couple. Firstly Miss Glossop isn't fully healed. And secondly it was running on the energy being emitted by the rift."

"And we just pulled the plug out."

"It's got about 2 more minutes."

"Not a long battery life then."

"That's probably why it never got used. And after it runs out of battery, life support will be cut. So I really need to concentrate."

Suddenly the door to the room flew in and in ran Snape and Professor Dumbledore.

"What? How?" asked the Doctor.

"Doctor concentrate!" said Donna.

"I see you realised ahead of us that the floo is operational" said Dumbledore as they both walked quickly over to the arch.

"...yes" said the Doctor, frowning.

"Is the muggle inside?" asked Snape, looking oddly at the arch.

"Yes, and I'm just going to try and get her out...right...now!" said the Doctor, pressing a button dramatically once. Then two or three more times.

"Come on!" he started zapping it with the sonic screwdriver. Then he smacked the side of arch and zapped it again. A bulg appeared in the floaty film which was the centre of the arch. Then Trish's body fell out, limp and thankfully metal-free. She fell out of the arch frontwards to be caught by Donna and Snape. The Doctor ran forward and scanned her with his sonic screwdriver, and opened her eyes to examine them.

"The parasite is gone, but she's not breathing." In a second Snape had reached inside cloak and pulled out his wand.

"Renervate" Trish took a deep breath and sat up.

"Argh my head."

"Don't move too much, Miss Glossop, you've just had your brain rewired" said the Doctor, hands out looking very worried.

"Does it look bad?" asked Trish, a hand flying to her head.

"Vanity, Muggle. Not that you have any looks to lose"

"It's nice to know you weren't too worried about me! It's not like I just got attacked by aliens or anything!" said Trish sarcastically, glaring at Snape.

"He says that now, but a moment ago he was all concerned" said the Doctor, smiling evilly at Snape.

"And he said you were his friend" said Donna. Snape looked at her like she had a lightening scare on her forehead.

"Ah Severus! You do love me!" said Trish over-dramatically, turning and hugging him. He looked as if someone had dropped him in a cold plunge. His arms went rigid, and his face screwed up.

"This friendship will be very short lived, as will you, if you do not STOP HUGGING ME!" he said through very gritted teeth. Trish let go and smiled at Snape.

"I'm sorry Severus, but winding you up is so much fun."

He paused and glared at her. Then relaxed a little, but didn't smile.

"You mention this to anyone and I'll make sure you teach Fifth Year Gryffindors for the next five years."

Back at the school Trish was frustrated by being forced to stay in the hospital wing again over new year. Not that she had the energy to celebrate. She had just enough energy to sit up in bed, read a book and play monopoly with the three students. She was visited daily by various teachers and by the Doctor and Donna, who as before felt that the quickest way to recuperate was to smuggle in chocolates. And a huge card which was the size of a church bible. The Doctor arrived with it tucked under his arm, whilst Donna held the customary chocolates.

"Miss Glossop! I have a card for you" said the Doctor.

"Ah thank you Doctor" said Trish, opening the card. It was signed by everyone still at the school over Christmas, except Snape and Milo. And the Doctor had written a long winded apology about not having stopped them getting her and how he should have done more to save her. She read it and smiled.

"It's ok, Doctor, I'm fine now. I am fine right?" she said panicking for a moment.

"You're absolutely fine Miss Glossop, no nanowhatsits left whatsoever. I don't know why I never call you Trish, but Miss Glossop sounds better" said the Doctor.

"It should be Miss Crowmarty" said Trish a little quietly.

"Yeah but it doesn't have the same ring to it, does it" said Donna.

"Miss!" said a voice from the door.

"Milo!" said the Doctor loudly.

"I'm sorry Professor, can I borrow the card, and a pen. I didn't sign it yet"

"Of course. I don't have a pen" said the Doctor, patting his jacket.

"I have one, on the side there, it's my favourite, the jewelled one" said Trish pointing to the bedside table, and carefully opening up the box of chocolates Donna had brought.

The Doctor picked up the card and carried it to a nearby bed.

"There's a gap there" he said pointing. When Milo had signed he took the card, putting the pen absentmindedly into his inside pocket.

"I don't think Catriana suits me either. Catriana Crowmarty, Cat Crow, it was a disaster waiting to happen" said Trish slightly more chirpily.

"No, but Cat sounds quite nice" said Donna.

"I think Muggle suits her better" said Snape entering, carrying an ominous bottle.

"If you think I'm drinking whatever is in that bottle..." began Trish, her hands immediately grabbing the bed in fear.

"Not everything in this world revolves round you Muggle, I'm just topping up Madame Pomfrey's stocks" he said, turning back towards Madame Pomfrey's office.

"Again I'm so sorry about before Miss Glossop. I should have realised that they were concentrating on you, I should have listened more, I..."

"Honestly Doctor, it's ok. The planet is safe, the school is safe, well, at least from aliens... what is on that spoon!" said Trish, her eyes narrowing as they moved from the Doctor to where Snape was approaching her carefully carrying a spoon full of something.

"Medicine clearly Muggle" said Snape walking over to the bed.

"You said that that stuff wasn't for me!" said Trish with emotion.

"This" said Severus, sitting down on the edge of the bed and raising the spoon slightly "is not the same potion that was in the bottle. Now please open wide."

"I'm not taking that, it's still moving" said Trish in horror and backing away as much as the bed allowed..

"It's supposed to. Muggle, you are making a spectacle of yourself in front of the students." Trish looked around to where Milo was considering her pitifully.

"Does it taste as bad as the last lot" said Trish looking up at Snape.

"No" said Snape. So Trish opened her mouth just enough and Snape stuck the spoon in. Trish's face contorted as Snape pulled the now empty spoon out.  
"It tastes infinitely worse" he stated. She glared at him, weighing up the relative merits of thumb screws and the rack.

"It tastes like vomit" she stated, the potion still her mouth.

"It's supposed to; the main ingredient is regurgitated cat's kidneys. Don't spit it out Muggle, I don't have much left." Using all the will in her body Trish swallowed it then turned to continue glaring at Snape, her face red. He simply got up to leave.

""Right, we better be off" said the Doctor, Donna trying not to laugh at the sour expression spread across Trish's face. Nor the evil grin spread across Snape's as he turned and left.

"Where are we going now?" asked Donna, as she and the Doctor walked across the courtyard to where the Doctor had parked the TARDIS.

"Camelot?"

"Only if I don't have to wear a dress, I look ridiculous!"

Trish stood wearing as much yellow as possible, next to Snape, as usual all in black, as they both watched Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin, a practice a couple of months later.

"Come on Hufflepuff!" yelled Trish.

"Really Muggle, do you even understand this game?"

"I don't need to, I'm here to support my team."

"Miss Glossop!" yelled an enthusiastic voice from behind them. Trish turned to see a man running towards her. He wore a tweed jacket, hitched up trousers and a red bow tie.

"Miss Glossop! It's so lovely to see you again. And Professor Snape. Anyway. How are you?"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Trish. A young woman with long red hair came running up behind the man.

"Oh my god, Doctor, have you seen this...oh my...that's that's" the girl had stopped and was staring wide eyed at Snape who was glaring back at her, daring her to finish the sentence.

"Amelia Pond, Trish Glossop, Professor Snape" said the man introducing everyone.

"And you are?" asked Snape.

"Me, I'm the Doctor" said the Doctor smiling inanely.

"Really" said Snape, an eyebrow raised. "Another one?"

"No, the same one actually. Different face. And new bow tie. Bow ties are cool. But anyway getting off topic. I'm very sorry Miss Glossop, but when I was last here I accidentally stole your favourite pen." With this he reached inside an inside pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver.

"Opps sorry, wrong pocket" Feeling in the other pocket he pulled out the pen. Except that every gem had fallen off and it had blobs of paint on it.

"What? What did you do to it?" asked Trish, horrified.

"I'm sorry. I might have used it a little" said the Doctor.

"A little?" her eyebrows raised.

"Oh and it writes in green now" he added smiling.

"You got paint on it!" said Trish, inspecting it.

"Oh that's from Van Gogh's" said the Doctor. Trish's eyes widened in awe.

"Vincent Van Gogh painted my pen." Suddenly she held her pen reverentially.

"No, I put it down on his table. But it wasn't a table, it was more a pallet. He's not very neat." Trish's smile evaporated and her hands dropped to her sides.

"Time to go. Ponds! Where's Rory?" asked the Doctor turning and rubbing his hands.

"Oh my god, did you see..." Rory's face also went pale as he met Snape's gaze.

"Time to go Rory" said Amy, turning him back the other way.

"Goodbye Miss Glossop!" shouted the Doctor from halfway across the field.

"Goodbye Doctor" shouted Trish.

"I hear you a planning on putting on a muggle play next year" said Snape after a while.

"Yes, I was thinking the Lion King. I might audition Scorpius Malfoy for Simba" she said smiling.

"You really do want to get fired, don't you muggle."

"Oh good shot Milo!" shouted Trish.

"He's in my house!" said Snape, scowling. Trish turned to him, ignoring the scowl.

"Yes, but even Slytherins need encouragement sometimes."

Meanwhile, Dumbledore was reading a note which had just arrived by owl.

'V escaped. Will keep you informed H'


	24. Epilogue The one at the end

Just a little bit of life after the end of the story...

Since the discovery of what Trish would have called being 'technically' a witch, the school had decided that she need training in magic, which meant that in her spare time Trish was attending lessons. She didn't mind this so much with Flitwick or Hagrid or Sprout, they were quite fun, had quickly lost their condescending tones and generally she was making some progress. However, all the other potions teachers had felt they had too much work teaching the OWL and NEWT classes so Trish was inflicted with Snape as her potions teacher. So far she had been unsuccessful in completing a potion. Mainly because Snape's idea of teaching her potions was to write it up on the board and spend his time marking or reading the paper whilst she made a mess. She came in a couple of minutes late one evening with a small pile books from the library to help her.

"Bring those here, there is no cheating in this class" said Snape, glancing up momentarily and then pointing without looking at a spot on the desk in front of him. Trish stood for a second, walked slowly over to the desk, held the books at arms length in front of her then simply let go. They made rather a satisfying bang as they hit the desk and Snape looked up annoyed as Trish glared at him and walked back to her desk where a cauldron was already set up.

"The instructions for this week's potion are on the board. You have an hour" said Snape not looking up from his page. Trish read...

_Anti-Wart Potion_

Trish looked at the board and then at Snape and raised an eyebrow. Surely there had to be a more interesting potion than this. She went to open her mouth and then an idea, a very dangerous idea sprang to mind. A sly, clever grin spread over her face. Quickly she memorised the name of the first ingredient, and then headed to the potions cupboard. Snape never got the ingredients she needed out for her. Big mistake. Sifting among the dusty shelves Trish located an empty bottle. She glanced round, she could still hear the sound of Snape's quill scratching on the parchment as he told students off for errors they hadn't made. Very carefully and very quietly she tipped a tiny amount of liquid from a number of different bottles into her own. A cure for chicken pox, cured beetle juice, extract of Ivy, ant venom, something with a small skull floating ominously in it. She grabbed bits of vegetables or animal that were lying around and stuck them in her pockets then calmly walked out of the cupboard. Keeping her eyes sharply on Snape she poured the contents of her bottle into the cauldron and lit the Bunsen burner or whatever it was with a lighter she had smuggled in for the purpose. Calmly she started adding the other ingredients from her pockets and stirred it. She went back to the cupboard a couple of times before Snape asked

"What are you looking for?"

"Erm...the pickled cat's ear" came Trish's reply.

"It's on the bottom shelf behind the horse's liver" replied Snape and continued.

Trish knew this, it was already in her concoction, as well as the horses liver, poisoned dragons' kidney, toads eyes and scramble duck egg. She had only a few more things from the cupboard to add before she had the whole collection. She moved quickly and decisively and stood there stirring it, and occasionally chopping things to look authentic. Just before she finished she remembered she had one last ingredient in her bag. She opened it, rummaged and took out her bottle of coke. She opened it with a loud hiss. Snape looked up and stared at her. She took a nonchalant swig and pretended to put it away before she poured a bit into the cap and this into the cauldron. Stirring it for a few more minutes she poured it carefully into a bottle and labelled it with a tag, cleaned up and left.

Half an hour later, when Snape had finished his marking he went to inspect Trish's work.

"Not the right colour, or consistency. That shouldn't be in there!"

He looked at the label

"Trish's Marvellous Medicine. P.s. Sorry I used the last of the newts brains"

Trish was sat in the staff room, concentrating very hard on a Nintendo DS when Snape burst in. She was sitting in Snape's normal seat, the high back initially hiding her, when he came bursting into the room.

"Where's the muggle?" demanded Snape of Hagrid, who was sitting opposite Trish, also holding a DS.

"I'm here, what do you want?" asked Trish not looking up.

"I want to know what you thought you were doing wasting some very rare and expensive ingredients, and some very tricky potions on this worthless pile slop?"

"I call it civil disobedience in protest at your attitude! Hagrid where are you?" said Trish, turning back to talk to Hagrid as if Snape were not in the room.

"Route 209" said Hagrid, who was concentrating so hard it was debatable if he even knew Snape was in the room.

"Where's that?" asked Trish

"Between Solaceon and Hearthome" he said calmly.

"What? No fair, I'm in Oreburgh"

"Still?"

"I can't beat the Gym Leader"

"Muggle!"

"It's not my fault, Hagrid chose Pip..." Trish trailed off as she saw that Snape was still standing glaring over her, gripping the bottle of potion so hard his knuckles had gone white.

"Severus, you can stand there as long as you like, I am not going to apologise. And I'm not having any more potions lessons with you. They have served their purpose."

"Which was what precisely? You have not mastered even the most rudimentary of potions."

"So that I know what your students mean when they walk in moaning about how awful their last class with you was."

Snape looked like he was about to strike out and Trish jumped to her feet to shout at him again.

"What in the name of Merlin's bleached white beard is going on in here?" shouted McGonagall coming in just as it looked like the argument might actually become violent.

"The muggle took it upon herself to experiment..." began Snape, but Trish interrupted.

"He wasn't teaching me, he just wrote up a potion, then sat there and watched me fail! It's psychological bullying. I'm tempted to make a formal complaint!"

"Miss Glossop, from now on you will follow Professor Snape's instructions to the letter." Trish folded her arms and pouted, not making eye contact with either McGonagall or Snape, who was sneering triumphantly.

"And you, Severus, will start being a little more helpful. Any more of this passive aggressive behaviour and I will have to reconsider your position as head Slytherin of house."


End file.
